Wondering for Time
by Midnighthome
Summary: Max and Chloe have a heart to heart with their classmates. Another body is found.
1. Chapter 1

Chloe felt a lingering taste of Max's lips on hers, the last moment that they had shared was an awaited hungry kiss, and as soon as she let go of her hand Chloe felt her body getting warped which led to this moment in time, in her room 10 am on a Monday the 7th of October.

Chloe pushed herself off her bed with agonizing pain, everything hurt but she didn't care about the physical pain; she wanted Max, she wanted to know that Max was okay and wondered why she was in her room, instead of dead like she was supposed to at the beginning of the week, to come to think about it wasn't it today.

"Can this week get any crazier, what the hell is going on?" she mumbled biting the corner of her lip "I have to call max, get answers she'll know what to do. She always knows."

Chloe's hands reached across the bed, towards the side where her phone kept almost permanent residence. She dialed Max's number and brought the cool phone up to her ear.

"Leave a message and I'll get back to you!"

"Shit." Chloe muttered, looking back at her phone before realizing what time it was. 10 am. Max was definitely still in class.

A million things raced through her head while she tapped her fingers against the side of her jaw. Each tap became harder as she thought them through.

"What if she's hurt? What if she sacrificed herself? Did I die? Am I dead?"

"No Chloe, think.." Chloe got up putting on a pair of pants, her mind spinning with her thoughts distraught she couldn't make sense of anything.

 **Bzz Bzz**

Her phone vibrating at the edge of her bed;

 _New message from Nathan Prescott_

"Oh shit, I'm still supposed to meet this asshole.. _if_ I go I'll probably end up dead just like before." The blue haired girl grumbled before an idea hit her.

Chloe wasn't going to fuck this up, not after the hell Max had gone through; both of them but Max had risked herself for Chloe over and over again.

"No. This time it's my turn to be the hero." Chloe finished getting ready and went to look for the stashed gun she had in her room "Let's see what Mr. Money has to say about this." she said angling the gun and aiming it at her tv in the corner of her room.

"I have to hurry and save Max from this ass." There wasn't any time to grab bullets, so hopefully Chloe wouldn't have to shoot anyone. Otherwise, they'd be toast.

Chloe raced to the parking lot, her hands gripped tight on the wheel leaving her knuckles white and her hands sweaty; but something was off, there was an ambulance parked right in front of the school and paramedics racing into the main building carrying a gurney.

Chloe tapped her fingers on the steering wheel, scanning the campus; everybody was gathered outside the main doors, around the fountain. The students whispering and talking amongst themselves. The faculty scattered all over the front lawn talking on walkies. After what seemed like a lifetime or minutes later Nathan was dragged out in handcuffs.

"What the fuck _is going on?"_ Mumbled Chloe biting harshly on her bottom lip, Chloe didn't want to think of all the possibilities flooding in her head; so she searched her pockets for her phone. Fidgeting to find Max's phone number.

 _Max please please pick up_

The ringing echoed in Chloe's ear. Once,

Twice,

A third time...

...No answer...

The lean girl's body stiffened as she exited the cabin of her truck, numbly walking over to the main doors to the school. She heard talk about guns and the girl's restroom immediately picking up her pace in a set jog before coming up a few steps up the stairs of the double doors.

Just before she reached for the handle of the doors the paramedics come bolting out of the building, "We have a 27D1", one of them starts shouting into a radio that is strapped to their shoulder. A man and a woman come out carrying a limp body on the gurney, that familiar form. Chloe stops breathing, stops thinking, just stops being. The girl's insides feel that they have turned to dust but she screams and pleads to save her friend, to save Max,to save her Max.

Chloe pushes something within to pull herself together, she can't fall apart when Max needs her the most. She went back in time but she didn't know or remember that Nathan Prescott is dangerous, was she taking Chloe's place? For what idiotic reason would the universe want with Max who has never done a damn thing to deserve this...something so horrible?

Chloe made her way to the principal whom was talking to the police about the incident and was trying to cover up what money did as well as any association to the Prescott title. Only a few feet away Chloe's eyes glaring at him as she touched his arm, getting the beloved principal to face her. "How could you not pay attention to this? Why aren't you calling the Caulfields? Their daughter is in the fucking hospital and you're over here trying to cover up your tracks." She growled ready to pick a fight with the wrong person and for all the wrong reasons.

He stares at her, studying her. "Ms. Price as I recall you no longer attend Blackwell and have no business strutting around on my campus. Now don't make me ask these officers to escort you home, you are way out of line.." Mr. Wells bellowed waving his arms about, releasing himself from her grip and stalking out the opposite direction.

A loud exasperated sigh came from Chloe, shoving her hands in her pockets as her fingers played with the change bouncing as she walked back to her truck. "This can't be happening.. I don't know how to explain any of this to Max. How do I explain any of this to _anybody?"_

Running a hand along the body of her truck, picking up the chipped paint Chloe rubbed her fingers together turning the dry paint into dust. "I can't do this right now, I am not strong enough to face this on my own again. I won't do this _all over again."_

The blue haired girl slumped down in the driver's seat before her truck roared back to life, there was only one place she could go; someone to help her with the darkness.

On the way over to the Two Whales Diner Chloe manages to call Joyce, shaky voice as she chokes back her tears " M-Mom I need to talk to you.. i-it's about Max." She bites her quivering bottom lip and tries to continue, "She's back.. She's back and…" Her voice was breaking as her emotions started betraying her, tears rushing down her face "…She's in trouble and it's my fault."


	2. Chapter 2

Chloe is hunched over sipping on hot chocolate, the steaming mug warming her fingers as she coddled the mug in between her hands. The warmth of the hot liquid giving her comfort and calming her nerves. Chloe felt jumbled and disoriented before she got to the Two Whales, but now she felt...content.

Moments later Joyce came back; Chloe's mother had always been the strong one, she had to be just that after William for both Chloe and herself.

"Come on darlin', everything's going to turn out fine, you'll see. "Joyce's hands started trembling slightly, anger and fear raged inside of her, Max was a big part of her life and it was like having another daughter at her side, to have that stripped away from her would be like living in another hell altogether.

"Mom.." Chloe shifted her eyes from her mug to the floor, her boots lightly kicking an empty box on the recently swept floors. " I know it won't. I can't even go see her because I'm too much of a chicken shit. I can't be there for my best friend because it was supposed to be me… Nathan texted me and she was just _there_. I- I just.." Placing the mug on a small box before burying her face into her palms, wanting to gouge her eyes out; just to avoid seeing all the disappointment that she laid out on the floor.

"Chloe Elizabeth Price, what do you think Max would say if she heard you talking like this? You didn't cause this. I don't know why you are befriending a Prescott but enough is enough." Joyce wrapped her arms around her daughter, kissing the top of her head as she ran her fingers through the faded blue hair. "We can't think like that. What we have to do is put on some big girl pants and move forward. Max.. She's a tough one," Joyce's words stumbled as they rolled off the tip of her tongue you "both take after one another." She heard Chloe silently crying and in light of keeping her busy Joyce wasn't going to let Chloe run away from this, not Max and not now or ever.

"I was trying to find Rachel.." She lied, maybe at the time she talked to Nathan that might have been true but now she knew exactly where her body laid. Rachel was a ghost now, Max was fighting for her life and the universe wasn't taking her away again. She might and as well make light of this situation that she buried herself in. "I'll go. I'll go and bring Max one of her favorite Belgian waffles." The corner of her lips slowly turning into a smirk "Come on mom, I bet you can't deny a dying girl her last dying wish. That'd hella psych the universe out.."

Joyce couldn't help but smile. "We wouldn't want to upset the universe, now would we? Also I bet this pirate would have my tongue if her first mate went without the most important meal of the day." She appeased Chloe, searching the pockets of her apron for her cell phone. "Why don't you go ahead and help Noah with that." She told Chloe to go into the kitchen and assist the cook. Joyce would rather not have an audience for the dreaded phone call to the Caulfields. This most likely meant that Max would have to get dragged back to Seattle, whether she wants to go or not. Explaining that their daughter was in a critical condition or near death to Vanessa and Ryan was going to be disastrous nightmare.

Chloe stationed herself outside in the far parking lot of the hospital, looking down in her lap at the container marked _Max's surprise. "_ Okay Chloe, she's in there all alone. She'll be happy to see you with...waffles." Sighing heavily, she made the fearful leap outside of her truck and started strutting towards the emergency wing.

Just entering the double doors was hectic, there was a lot going on; overworked nurses, scared paramedics and strained doctors whose only love ones just happen to caffeinated drinks. Chloe made her way past the chairs filled with family members in the waiting room and to the receptionist. She stepped forward biting the corner of her lip.

"Excuse me." She waited patiently as the Nurse was logging notes before looking up. "I'm looking for Max Caulfield, I think she's staying in this wing, or something. Can I see her?" Grinding her teeth made it rather difficult to take seriously but she couldn't help what she was feeling, her head was spinning and her stomach in knots.

"No. At this moment Ms. Caulfield is in critical condition and has been taken up for surgery, has been for a couple of hours." The receptionist at the desk popped her gum in Chloe's face, what was more irritating than that was the loud chewing, which had Chloe just on the verge of blowing up. "We weren't able to get a hold of her parents." She looked up at Chloe giving her additional details and asking her to wait with the other patients family members scattered all over the waiting room.

Hours passed and by that time Joyce, David, Ryan and Vanessa had joined Chloe outside the waiting room, there had been complications that had made Chloe's skin crawl. All she wanted to do is see Max. She didn't care how, she wanted to show her that she would do anything for her and that meant take her place, to somehow go back in time. She didn't care she'd die a thousand times before going through this hell for one more moment.

Moments later a tall curvy gorgeous doctor came out, Chloe had to avert her eyes by how breathtaking she was but that was not important. This was about Max. "Mr. and Mrs. Caulfield?" The doctor approached all of them "My name is Doctor Torres, Your daughter is out of surgery, everything went as planned and the surgery went swimmingly." The doctor came and grabbed Max's parents, their voices turned into whispers as they vanished into the hallway and further down behind the double doors.

Chloe's smile turned into a flat line and then a stern pout, she felt like she had been in this hell hole hours ago and all she did is wait and for what? She couldn't sit still just sucking her thumb, she couldn't come clean to any of this without coming clean to Max first. Chloe turned to face David as an idea struck her.

"David, dude, I have a proposition for you. You get me to Max's room in your security get up and I promise to stop calling you step douche. " She pleaded intertwining her hands together with her palms facing each other. A rare sight a young Chloe asking David for anything.

David turned to Joyce, studying her expression; it was very pleasant and slightly amused by what her daughter had requested. "Chloe.." He sighed, taking his cap off giving her a scornful look. "I already stuck out my neck for you today, at Blackwell, and with Mr. Wells." He cleared his throat, always being the one having to put his foot down. "I haven't a clue why you were there when I told you Wells isn't having any of it and especially if you take into account the stuff you've pulled while you were at Blackwell."

Chloe's face turned stern and grumbled under her breath as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Come on man, I never ask you for anything." She lightly kicked her mother's chair asking for a hand, Chloe couldn't take it anymore, she couldn't come up with a better idea, not like how Max could. Her best friend had always been the smart one.

She breathed. Right now, it was all she could do. Looking around the room, she got her idea. Her stepdad had two uniforms. One he was wearing, the other…

Chloe swiped Joyce's spare keys and stepped outside of the hospital, making her way to her Step Douche's car. Chloe slipped into the back of the car unnoticed, and finds exactly what she was looking for with ease, and shimmies into the extra security uniform. Tucking her blue hair into the extra-large hat, soon after the determined teen reenters the hospital.

The security uniforms from Blackwell looked somewhat close to what the ones in the hospital looked like. It was just that the suit was _far_ too big on her, but it made ample room for the waffles she promised herself, and the universe that she'd give Max. At a glance she should be okay as long as she keeps her head down.

Chloe shuffles past the nurses, past Joyce, past David, trying to remain inconspicuous to the staff of the hospital. Chloe laughed to herself, how stupid _was_ Step douche to not notice his own uniform?

As time passed, making her way to the corridors it became more apparent that she should not be there with people staring at her longer than she was accustomed to. Murmurs around her grew, and Chloe's heart raced, the pitter patter beats becoming aches in her chest.

If she had been in the halls for another moment, she would have surely been caught. Turning from the door, she breathed. Right now, it was all she could do. Closing the door behind her taking a deep breath before fluttering her eyes open again.

There she was. Max.. lying unconscious, lifeless seconds later her heart beat went flat.


	3. Chapter 3 - The letters

Chloe looked around the room for the red button, pushing it frantically just before running into the hallway hyperventilating. "Help! I need help over here, we need a doctor!" Just seconds later, she tracked down a nurse and directed her to the room Max was in. There was no point in hiding now. She took her cap off and tossed it to the side, pushing her hair back as the sweat trickled down her temple. "Look, you got to do something. She's not breathing! Don't just fucking stand there." She snapped at the frightened nurse, probably new at this job but Chloe didn't care. Just then, she felt hands around her arms. It was Dr. Torres, one of the doctors on call that night.

"Ma'am I'm going to ask you to step out of the room so I can get to work." Her voice was urgent squeezing past Chloe to the defibrillators. "Push to 110." The doctor commanded. The staff surrounded Max's bed. That was the last thing she saw before being shooed out of the room when both Ryan and Vanessa came bolting down the hallway. "Chloe what's wrong? What happened with you? We went looking-" Ryan was interrupted with urgent stiff voices coming from Max's room. "What happened with Max?" His eyebrows furrowed looking from Vanessa to Chloe.

Chloe looked to the ground and then back up. "I don't know. I came up to see Max. I wanted to see how she was doing." Chloe wrung the beanie in her hands. "There must be something I can do. Now look at what has happened, Why didn't she tell me she was coming back to Blackwell?" Her lip was trembling as she sunk her teeth at the corner of her mouth. "Why didn't you guys?" Her guilt was replaced with reproach and remorse "I thought you said... I meant something to you both."

Vanessa slowly approached Chloe, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Chloe honey, that wasn't our call to make. Max.. well she." She paused taking a deep breath before searching inside her purse, taking a stack of letters tightly wrapped around a extra large rubber band. "Max might not have sent these for only reasons that she will understand, but she wanted to." She handed the letters to Chloe, addressed to the girl herself. Chloe let her beanie hit the floor before taking the letters in her hand. "Max wrote these?" She was dumbfounded. Hugging the stack to her chest, her lips started quivering and her eyes began to water.

Mrs. Caulfield nodded. "Yes, she wrote them. She didn't send them because she was scared. She was scared that the both of you would get attached just like you were when you were that you were miles away from each other was not ideal." There was something Vanessa wasn't exactly telling Chloe. "I don't think she knew what she was saying, but she felt very passionate about writing you, being there for you. We know she wanted you to be there for her too."

Chloe opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly the door opened to Max's room, the gush of wind sending her chills all across her arms. The nurses and the doctors were on the move, racing down the hallway as they wheeled Max along to the elevator back to the OR. Chloe wanted to ask where they were taking her but it made no difference. They were already gone by the time the Chloe reached for the elevator door. Chloe clenched her jaw and hugged the letters even tighter this time, walking back to her truck. She rushed back down the flight of stairs until she crashed into the doctor from before, scattering her letters all over the stairs. "Shit man, sorry." She began to pick up her letters feverishly **,** Dr. Torres helping her. She recognized her as the girl from earlier with Max and then again the waiting room.

"Here, I'm sorry about that." She, too, was being as understanding as possible. Before giving the letters to Chloe, she read what was written on them _from Max Caulfield._ Chloe took them graciously, nervously looking at the doctor who was the one going through the hell of saving her best friend. "Thanks, I have to go." Chloe's voice cracking as her words fumbled out "Please save her," she managed. "She's all I have. And I am not ready to lose her, not like this." The sheer desperation oozing out of Chloe and absorbed into Dr. Torres.

Later that day, Chloe drove by the junkyard , her own secluded area where she had shared memories with the most important people in her life. Making her way to her to her fortress, keys in hand as she hugged the stack of papers in the other. This was it, the moment of discovering what 13 year old Max thought, why she wanted to move far away from her best friend so bad. Chloe sighed sliding into the chair by her homemade table, placing a stack of letters rummaging to find the first one, five years ago.

 _Dear Chloe,_

 _I know I said I would call but it's been crazy here, seattle is so big and very loud, now I don't just mean the noise but I mean the artists out here are so bold, I kinda like it. I didn't want to leave after what happened to your dad. I'm so so sorry Chloe. If I could, I would catch a bus to you. I've been plotting ways to run could live in my old tree house so your mom doesn't catch us (: . It hasn't even been a week and I miss you. Okay I know you don't do mushy stuff but this is for real, that's not weird right? You miss me too; I am your best friend after all, captain. I also miss your mom's cooking too (p.s. Don't tell my mom that, I think she was jealous that I hardly ever touched her food.) I don't think you'll believe me, but I made it my secret mission to convince my parents to do something amazing. What if I told you I begged my parent to stay with you, I know I'm pretty chicken shit but I legit asked my parents. You'll take a wild guess and know that my masterful plan flopped. You were always the evil genius/ captain (evil captain, should I just call you a pirate?) Plan B, if I saved enough money maybe you could come stay with me in Seattle for a while, like during the summer or something. Be extra good Chloe Elizabeth Price, we want Joyce to say yes and I'm counting on you!_

 _xoxo your first mate_

"Well shit." Chloe sighed running her thumb along the edges of the already crinkled paper. "I always knew she was chicken shit but this tops it off." She smiled grabbing her jacket from where she placed it on the chair next to her. Nothing else came to mind except getting back to Max, whatever was going on with Max hopefully someone had news about her.

Chloe stuffed the letter in her pocket and proceeded to hide the remaining letters in a hidden board. Getting back up on her feet she dusted off her pants and snatched her keys from the table, setting off in a jog to her beaten up truck. Chloe stayed at the wheel giggling which turned into an outburst contagious laugh, not very long after her laugh died down and tears ran down her face. All of this excitement, all the horror that she had to discover and face on her own was so vivid in her mind, Chloe didn't know how to deal with any of it. After a few minutes had passed she looked in the rear view mirror wiping her eyes and teasing her hair a bit before she calmed enough to drive.

Back at the hospital Chloe had settled in sitting with her head on Max's bed, the girl was still limp and had not woken up since going back to the OR. Chloe didn't want to think about the possibility, she wouldn't accept this fate not for herself and definitely not for Max. Chloe reach for Max's hand, running her thumb over her knuckles "Max please you have to wake up from this." Chloe whispered "Please I can't do this with you, without Rachel or my dad. You're the only good thing left in my life." Defeated Chloe buried her head into a soft pillow silently crying, tiring herself out of exhaustion.

What was a little more than an hour later the anesthesia started wearing off and a very woozy Max started waking up from her slumber, noticing a blue haired person sleeping at the edge of the bed. Max tried to lean up on her elbows with no prevail, her right shoulder felt as if it was made out of glass. Chloe woke up from the shriek that came from Max, joy followed by worry inhibited Chloe to sit.

Max surprised had to double take "Chloe?" she wanted to get up and reach for her but her arm gave out and seconds later she was screaming in pain.

"Max! What's wrong tell me what to do." Her face went pale white, her heart was sinking she couldn't think at all.

"C-Chloe.. I-I can't feel my hand.. " she cried out trying to move, her shoulder was in excruciating pain " I can't feel any of arm.. help me Chloe " She whispered.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Welcome Alyce to my new co-writer- Seventeenthstar on tumblr, she is doing an incredible job with helping me with the progression with this story.

And also I want to thank Richie for Editor (:

As always I love hearing what you guys think, I adore reviews and I don't care how nasty they could get but it helps us out a bunch.

So don't forget to comment and follow and as always stay sinning (;

* * *

Chloe's gaze moved on to study the features on Max's face. She could tell she was having a bad dream by the crease on her forehead. The way the sun splashed her face made her freckles stand out against her pale skin. Chloe bit the corner of her lip before sighing softly trying to be ever so subtle. _Come on dude it was just one kiss, she thought you were going to die… it didn't mean anything._ That didn't stop Chloe about thinking about that one lucid kiss. She wished it wasn't just her remembering things. Max was the hero in all of this and how would Chloe be the one to tell her, and then again about Jeffershit, the reason she came to this shithole of a town. No she wouldn't believe Chloe not without any proof but _how._

Chloe noticed movement from Max's side of the bed which pulled her out of her thoughts. She was finally waking. Max's parents were staying in a hotel not too far, but Max had elected to stay with Chloe and her parents for a time. Vanessa and Ryan weren't too happy, but Joyce was able to convince them that it was better to stay with them rather than in some random hotel with her now overprotective parents. Chloe watched as Max reached over the side of the bed to grab her pain pills with her working hand and then fumbled with the bottle, trying to get it open with only one hand.

"Shit!" Max swore as the bottle slipped out of her hand and into her lap. She reached down to pick it up again, but Chloe reached out and put her hand over Max's.

"Here," Chloe said, pulling her hand away from Max's and picking up the meds. "Let me help…" It was the least she could do, really, with everything Max had done for her. "Looks like maybe we both need to be medicated," Chloe laughed awkwardly as she opened the bottle and handed Max a pill.

jfc

"Thanks," was Max's only response. She didn't even look at Chloe as she tossed the pill in her mouth and turned over to face the wall.

Chloe felt lost, which was something she was too used to feeling. It was unlike Max to be so quiet, she always had a lot to say. Chloe wanted to shake Max, tell her to say something stupid in perfect Max-Hipster form. She was too tired for this, but she couldn't give up on Max.

"I bet Joyce is making us a killer breakfast downstairs, wanna go down and slay some bacon?"

Max was quiet for a moment and the silence spread over Chloe with a chill.

"No, I don't think I could eat," Max finally responded.

"Come on, Super-Max! You battled Nathan Prescott one-on-one yesterday! I think you deserve a little breakfast celebration! It'll really be a party since Step-Douche is busy at Blackwell dealing with the leftover shit-show going on there."

Max turned to face her, looking a little more like the Max that Chloe knew. "Well, could you bring me up some food? I think I want to stay in here for awhile."

Chloe brushed a bit of hair out of Max's face with her hand, "I'm on it." She stood up and grabbed her jeans from off the floor, pulling them on and grabbing her jacket-which had Max's letters bundled up inside-as she left the room.

Chloe sauntered down the stairs with her hand gliding across the rail until she reached the front door to the garage. The delicious aroma of sizzling bacon and crisp hash browns had Chloe's stomach grumbling. Her nose tracked down the food to the kitchen where Joyce stood over the stove whipping up some eggs. Making an omelet as her ear was glued to the phone, probably checking up on David. Chloe leaned against the wall waiting for Joyce to acknowledge her. Crossing her arms over her chest starting with a pout, when she felt something stiff. Chloe opened her jacket pocket to reintroduce her to Max's forgotten letters.

 _I have time now, one letter wouldn't hurt me.. maybe it'll help me talk to Max even._

Chloe turned her heel walking down the hallway and unlocked the sliding doors to the backyard, it was a cool, crisp morning, the breeze shook the leaves on the trees around her as she went to the swings. It had been a while since she was down here, vividly remembering the last conversation she had with Max when she was 14. She'd give anything to get through to that Max, she had to try.

Chloe fumbled through another set of letters to figure out the next one in formation. The next one dated only a couple of days after that cute introduction to Seattle.

 _Dear Chloe,_

 _This week has been insane, you know how I hate this new kid crap; it' like I can't even walk down these stupid hallways without someone giving me crap about being me, I don't know how to be adventurous like you, maybe people would like me more if I was right? I was just thinking.. when does my best friend, the girl I can always count on get her permit? Just think about it.. You can just take a cruise to another state, even bring Joyce along , pick me up and we can go to the beach and take great shots. I really want to feel the sun in my face and not this damp ass weather. Aside from that dad is just showering me with disappointing facts, says the internet won't be up until next week; that means all I've been doing is watching HAWT DAWG MAN reruns. Laugh it up Chloe Price, next time when we meet in duel, I will pulverize you (; Do you remember when you would beat my ass when we played the video game? Btw can you mail me a copy when you're finished with it, mom says it's too violent and doesn't want to buy it for me, she says this is the corruption of all evil :/ like do you believe that? What would a captain and her first mate corrupt against; maybe the world but still. It's not like I will do all the evil doing on my own, I need my best friend at my side, mom got the memo but I'm still top suspect for world domination; according to her. Do you remember that day we were on your swings and you asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, then I told you we would go around the world and take pictures, and that you would be my bodyguard? I know we were only joking but I'd love the idea of us taking on adventures together. I'd go anywhere with you by my side.. I have to go I'm getting too mushy for you._

 _Xoxo your first mate_

"Chloe! Breakfast is on the table." Joyce shouted from the dining table,placing an assortments of Max's favorite food. Joyce trying her best to give both girls their distance, even though she wanted to be there she couldn't always, with working in the diner and all.

"Coming!" Chloe replied quickly folding the letter back in the the envelope and heading back inside.

Joyce hurriedly kissed Chloe on her forehead before rushing out to put on a jacket "Now Chloe please look after Max and try not to get in trouble, the Caulfields will be calling in to check up on her. If you can get her to talk to them for a bit.. we need to address what happened back at Blackwell." The busy woman hugged her daughter goodbye and rushed out the door for her morning shift at the diner.

A few moments after stuffing her face Chloe put on a brave face and set up a plate for Max, with all of her favorite things and which included her hostess or so Chloe thought once a upon a time.

"Knock knock, I come baring gifts. Well delish grub, dig in Mad Max." Chloe carefully placed a plate of warm waffles, a side of bacon and hashbrowns on Max's lap.

Max gave her a wary smile "Thanks Chloe.." Thanking her nonchalantly, max fumbled with picking up the fork on her plate, struggling to use her left hand to eat; didn't want to be reminded of the failure that was becoming her new reality.

Chloe bit her lip stepping in. "Here I brought a knife, I swear sometimes these babies look like a fluffy heaven but mom sometimes makes them hard as a rock." She teased taking over for her and taking a bit before she returned the plate over to Max "My professional critic says the waffles are safe to eat."

"Chloe.." Just then her phone started buzzing, at the desk table. It had been a while since Max made contact with anybody from Blackwell, of course her inbox was flooded with messages from her parents, a few from Warren and a couple from her the girls from her dorm.

Chloe sighed walking over to her desk, gliding her fingers over Max's screen; swiping the screen to reveal a message from Kate Marsh "Hey Max, Kate Marsh sent you a message." She looked over her shoulder and turned to Max, a flood of messages came in after that, no matter what the situation Max had appreciated the sweet innocent person Kate was and hoped she'd still be after all of this.

"I think it's urgent. You should probably call her." Chloe cautiously went to sit down next to Max "Maxaroni it's just Kate. You can talk to her." Chloe grabbed Max's hand, slowly uncurling her fingers, placing the phone in the palm of her hand.

"I don't know if I can." She looked over at Chloe her throat becoming immensely dry.

"Chloe .." This had been the most she spoke to her since waking up " I took your place I shouldn't be here." Barely audio, seconds later Max received a voicemail from Kate. Furrowing her eyebrows Max lifted her hand to throw her phone against the wall. Chloe grabbed her wrist gently, slipping the phone out of her hands and pressing play onto the message.

 _Hey Max it's Kate, I can't believe what happened to you at Blackwell. I can't believe Nathan, what he did to you; you could have died.. Max I need to tell you something._ It sounded like Kate was crying, the shallow whisper turned into sniffling. _I feel so lost Max, I can't even talk to one of my closest friends because she's going through stuff too. Max.. Do you think it's possible that god is punishing me because I am being so selfish, I am here wallowing in about a stupid video, the video hurts because everyone is treating me like trash but MAX I SWEAR IT ISN'T ME. my mom is disowning me and has forbidden my sisters to talk to me, I feel so alone. This isn't a life worth living, if you can hear this please forgive me and remember I will always cherish you as a friend and a wonderful person. Goodbye._


	5. Chapter 5

**Beep**

Max clutched her hand. She grabbed a pillow and wanted to scream. Her hand was in excruciating pain, pulsing; it hurt so damn much. No, she couldn't believe this. This time it was even worse, Max wasn't there to support Kate. She never reached out to her because of that dumbass Nathan Prescott.

"Max, stop it. You're hurting yourself!" Chloe shook her back to reality. She didn't know how she was going to do it, but Chloe was going to get her to Kate. Chloe grabbed Max's hands and pulled her up off from the bed and into a standing position.

"Look, we're going to fix this. We'll call David to check up on Kate. We'll explain that she's in danger. When we get there, she'll be fine." She wanted to reassure Max by placing her hands on her shoulders and coming in with an embracing hug. "We have to get going though. Come on, we don't have a lot of time."

Max buried her head into the crook of Chloe's neck, inhaling her scent and the familiarity of it all, how easy it was to get used to being held a certain way. She hadn't noticed that she had been crying, until she pulled away from Chloe to wipe her tears and gave Chloe an appreciative nod.

Max went over to put the sling on her arm so it wouldn't feel heavy on her. "Okay I'm ready. I'll call David, I'll let him know."

Back at the dorms, Max and Chloe frantically go rushing to find David, whom he himself was racing up the flight of stair. He didn't have time to process or question what Max had called him about, he didn't know anything other than Kate is part of a bigger and more sadistic scheme, he would have never approached poor innocent Kate if he'd known the state she was in at this exact time and place.

"Kate Marsh!" David started pounding on the door "I have received an anonymous clue that there is a problem taking occurrence in this room, please let me in; I'm only here to help you." David waited only a few seconds before ramming his shoulder to the door before it came tumbling down, by then Chloe and Max had appeared in the hallway and cautiously went in after David. The room was cold, it was destroyed. There was graffiti on the walls : _DISAPPOINTMENT, SINNER, DISOWNED, SHAME._ Big cold words in what happened to be Kate's handwriting. Chloe turned to Max grabbing her hand, pulling her fingers, bringing her forward at the awe in her room as they made their way through mutilated objects in her room including her violin, barely recognizable. Her own artwork ripped to shreds, her pictures crossed out as if they've been carved out with a knife. Getting closer to the limp body sitting in the battered up chair David raced over to feel a pulse, it was faint. Kate's hand clutched a bag of pills.

"Kate no.." Max clasp her hand over her mouth sinking to her knees, tears streaming down her face.

Chloe approached the body pushing David out of the way " No, she's not fucking dead.. she's just..." Chloe didn't want to think about what this would do to everyone one and especially after she was trying to fix everything, everything with Arcadia Bay including Max.

Chloe had to think fast. Within minutes Kate would be gone and that couldn't. She nervously grabbed the waste basket next to the desk and placed it right up to Kate's chest, hurriedly Chloe stuck her fingers inside Kate's mouth and down her throat, making the limp body react and gag. Chloe stuck with it until Kate emptied her stomach's contents inside the small wastebasket.

A breathless and disoriented Kate sat in front of their eyes, David on his phone as well as clearing the students from the hallway, that began soon rushing the scene after his shoulder trampled the wooden door.

Max looked up, pushing herself up and raced to hug Kate "Oh Kate you're alive, you're alive. Oh god,I'm so sorry Kate." Max whimpered afraid to let go, afraid saving her was just another twisted nightmare. "Don't go please." She whispered.

Kate embraced Max, gently, because she knew that Max had not only got out of surgery but was dealing with her own nightmare. "Oh Max, I didn't think you were going to come, I didn't think anybody cared." She gazed over at Chloe leaning against the wall, looking sheepish as her best friend drowned in sorrow and all she could do is watch, and it pained her deeply. Kate choked back tears, barely remembering Chloe at all, her limited time at Blackwell didn't do her justice. She was in awe, at what no more than just an acquaintance could was there, and she took the initiative to save her life. Sticking her finger down her throat for someone who was basically just a stranger to them...Kate pulled away from Max giving her a sincere smile.

"Thank you Max, Chloe you too.. I- I don't know if I will ever find the words. I can't right now." She turned to the side wanting to crawl out of her skin, she didn't know what was to be done.

"Kate you don't have to do that. I- we came. You called and we came. I should have checked in earlier, I should have been there from the start." Max placed her left hand over Kates'.

Not a moment later David Madsen came in with paramedics and principal Wells. After the events that took place Kate had to get help, had to get help from people who knew how to crowd from the hallways started getting rowdy "Get wrecked Kate!" one of the Jocks shouted, followed by hollers of their fellow classmates. Max's eyebrows furrowed as the staff from the school were accompanying Kate Marsh out of the dorms and across campus. Max was getting one of those really intense headaches before she would blackout, she held it in as much as she could before falling to her knees again.

"Chloe.." Max called out, reaching out with her hand to the girl was already running to her side "Chloe thank you for helping Kate-" Chloe shushed Max coming to her knees and placing Max's head on her lap "You don't have to thank me, you and me.. it's what we do. We're gonna hella save this town.. together. I promise." She softly caressed Max's face, her thumb gliding down her temple and to the outline of her jawline. Max fluttered her eyes closed " You can't fall asleep super Max,we have to get you checked out or at least tell your parents." Max abruptly opened her eyes "Chloe no. You already know they want me far away from here. They want me far away from Arcadia Bay. They think it's toxic.."

Chloe sighed and proceeded to calm her down "Okay fine we won't tell them, not yet anyway. I just don't want.. I don't want to give them a reason to have you disappear on me again." Chloe brushed Max's bangs to the side enticed by a set of deep blue eyes staring back at her.

"Chloe I'm here because of you, I mean literally. I don't even know how I got into this position." The corner of her mouth turning into a smirk, Max nestled her hand on top of Chloe's. "I'm not leaving you, not ever."


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: So December was such a crazy month that I had like no time to write and if I did I was too lazy lol

but I promise that January I will be back on schedule with a chapter a week, Like if I'm not just spam me. Spam me on my tumblr or here and trust me I will get to writing.

As always keep sinning and keep reviewing, things are getting real with Pricefield xoxo (;

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Being back at the hospital gave Chloe such an eerie feeling, it wasn't anxiety driving her mad this time, of course Max by her side mellowed her out; but she was still tense due to the fact that Max objected to have her brain prodded again. This thing with the nose bleeds and Max blacking out wasn't normal, the petite girl had explained in the previous time line that it only happened with her rewind. Maybe now it was actually her mind playing tricks on her.

This was not including what poor Kate had been through; but now she was safe inside the four walls of her hospital room. Both Max and Kate had fallen asleep watching Law & Order after just pigging out on take out, of course it was two against one; Chloe always a fan of pho which of course it didn't happen.

Chloe frowned as she was taken back into reality, the once thoughtful teenager filled with remorse once again when she noticed the labored breathing and minced pain shrieks coming from Max, luckily it didn't wake up Kate. Chloe had promised she wouldn't tell Max's parents but that was eating her alive, she had no clue what to do with Max. It was her life they were talking about, more than that it was also Chloe's key to happiness. The stubborn girl put her chin on her knees as she brought her legs together for a hug, thinking about Dr Torres and the kind of resilient person she presented herself to be, maybe she would keep quiet about Max; Chloe shook her head. _No Chloe how would I even explain this, that my best friend knew how to time travel in her previous life and might or might not still have her powers._

Chloe sighed at the sight of both girls, she was able to stop horrible occurrences that would have happened otherwise; Max and Chloe were able to do the impossible. The thought of two teenage girls playing god was too much for her to handle, she didn't want to think about anything and especially not that, all she wanted was to sleep; even if it was in the world's most uncomfortable cot. The blue haired girl grabbed her jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders before fluttering her eyes into a haze of sleep.

In their quiet cocoon of a room it was blissful for a while, followed by the infectious chirping coming from Max's phone ; the Caulfields had finally had enough, playing hokey of ignoring call after call. Deciding to burst in Max's little charade, in their opinion had gone far too long, after this suppose tantrum , her sulking was just unacceptable. The thunderstorm was just brewing up when Max's parents entered the room. "Maxine Caulfield do you know how many times we've called you, how many times we've called the pricefield household! Not either one of you have the decency to pick up the damn phone and let your father and I know that you're okay." She paused looking over at all three of the girls while another couple humbly interrupted.

" I beg your pardon but would you kindly take whatever this is outside, you know my dear daughter Kate is trying to sleep and I as her mother will not put up with you behaving like this." The older woman looking right at Vanessa Caulfield, giving her a scornful look.

Chloe still groggy rubbing her eyes quickly slipping on her jacket and durable combat boots. Chloe's eyes piercing into Max's, she knew all of this was avoidable if Max had just given them a call like Chloe had begged her to do so many times those first few days. Chloe was already at Max's side guiding her out of all the commotion, she didn't want Max to have another episode in front of the caulfields, the nosebleeds, the brain waves, the strokes.. They wouldn't stay in Arcadia Bay, for sure they would travel into the city with that grade A level equipment.

"Chloe. You stop that right now. Stop protecting her from us, we are her parents and she needs to be with us and come home this instant." Ryan caulfield stepped in between her and Max, roughly pulling her away from his daughter. She knew what this was, what it had always been. Why they took Max away from her in the first place, they had always deemed their classism above hers and Joyce and now especially with David. This she could not abide.

Chloe grabbed Max and hide her behind her frame. "No she can't go anywhere. She needs friends to help her deal with what happened. She needs time, I need time with her.. I want to help and she is letting me help.. what do you think will happen if you take her away from her the only support system she's known for months now." She paused catching her breath, the palms of her hands sweaty as she gripped rather loosely on Max's wrist. "You can't take her just yet.. please just give us time."

Max shuffled behind Chloe closely, staying silent but her brows furrowed filled with resentment. It beamed off of Max, every ounce of anger boiling within her.

Vanessa turned from Chloe to Max and then back at Ryan, she didn't like any of this arrangement but she saw the way her daughter looked at her now. Vanessa knew if she didn't give her the space they needed or the time to heal properly she would lose her daughter, but this wasn't over she wasn't about to have this waste land drain her daughter like it did to her for years.

"Fine, you're right. she can stay until she finishes up the year here but come January she's coming back home, back to Seattle and there will be no negotiations." She looked at Ryan who then nodded.

"If anything happens to Max we know who hold accountable for this.." it was said more as a fact than a threat before storming off to the flight of stairs.

Chloe turned to Max bringing her forward with a big grin on her face "Did you see that. We did it Mad Max! They know they can't tear us apart again.." A sly little smile contorted across Max's face shaking her head "No Chloe you did it..I-I" she choked on her words for a bit, shutting her eyes tight before finding Chloe's hands again and gripping tightly, the warmth of her hands easing her back to comfort "I can't thank you enough for what you've done for me, for Kate.. for us. " She looked up from their hands and into a set of tired baby blue eyes " I don't deserve your friendship, I abandoned you and I hate myself for it. Why don't you just cast me away. I don't deserve this loyalty.. don't deserve you." Max was angry and she was remorseful, she wanted Chloe to scream and backlash for not being there ever but instead caught Chloe giving her the biggest eye roll.

"Okay drama queen are you done yet ?" She fixed the beanie on her head as she slouched over a wall, leaning over as she usually did " I absolutely do not care about that I'm just glad to have my hella first mate back. You're alive why the hell do you think I would hold anything against had a life and so did I, but the heart wants what it wants." She teased making pitter patter noises against her chest and shooting an imaginary arrow to Max's heart stringing her along. "I just hope you do me justice and impress me with those skills like those artsy french girls.." She faked swooning over the bench in the hallway, striking a pose.

"Come on Max hit me with your best shot. Take out the beast." Chloe leveled with making eye contact.

"Chloe. I-I.. Chloe I'm giving up on this. I'm not touching a camera in this fucking life time." Max growled.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Hey guys Jenn again! Thank you so much for the reviews I LOVE LOVE LOVE reading them. I know I said I would post more than one chapter a week but I will get to that after I settle in at uni again. So as always keep sinning and like, fave and follow- keep those reviews coming

Alex I'm not sure if I want any of them to have powers, I'll think about it. I think my children deserve a break from all that bull! (:

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Chloe's hands went limp as she tried to push her herself back "What do you mean… what are you saying Max." she was confused, she didn't know where any of this talk was coming from, Chloe had just convinced the Caulfield's that she was helping Max, that Max was safe and sound living with her; that everything was fine.

"I don't want to talk about it Chloe. I said what I said and you really have no say on it." She scrunched up her nose before crossing her arms over her chest, pouting over at the taller girl. Max didn't expect anyone to understand, not understand that she didn't have her gift anymore as Mr. Jefferson had put it, her ability to capture a moment in time through her lense.. The movement in her arm, the straining in her hand it just made it impossible for her to be passionate about anything or she'd hope.

"No you don't get to do that. I've- You've worked so hard to come back to Arcadia Bay and after some bullshit accident you're throwing in the towel?!" Chloe was fumed she knew that Max remembered everything thing that had happened to both of them and this was just a reciprocal of saying to fuck it all. The very tired girl sighed heavily rubbing her hands all over her face, feeling the blood drain from her face. "Max we need to talk, not here. Somewhere quiet." Biting the corner of her lip she got up and walked over to Max "I don't- I don't know what exactly is going on but I know this is all for show and there is something that needs to be said. That I need to tell you."

Max fumbled with the strap on her shoulder from the book bag looking down to the ground, she had been dreading this conversation. Max had wished that Chloe had acted oblivious to it all. "Chloe I have no idea what you're talking about.. are you feeling alright ?" She acted incredibly nonchalant about it.

Chloe whipped around just as she was strutting down the hallway "I can bullshit on that one too Maxine." She knew that Max hated being called that, that no matter how many times she had teased her it always got under her skin. The way it was implied was so perplexed, chloe walked backwards as she saw the furry building inside Max, but it wasn't hatred as much as it was annoyance.

"You're the biggest asswipe in this whole planet." Max rolled her eyes and walked passed Chloe and raced down the stairs, two floors down to the lobby. Followed by a determined Chloe, locking her arm around Max's shoulder she guided them outside the hospital entrance and out to the parking lot to Chloe's babe magnet.

"Mad Max I may be the biggest asswipe but you're the still the biggest dork in Arcadia Bay so you need me so it evens us out." She teased as she opened the door to her chariot for Max to get inside.

Max lightly punched Chloe in the arm before getting inside the truck, which was received with a chuckle from the tall lean girl. Once they were driving to their destination Max pulled out her phone and texted Kate that they would come back another day with less parents next time. "So.. where exactly are we going ? Please don't tell me you're taking me to the dump." She looked over at Chloe cautiously, nervously biting her lip. Max as well didn't know how much remembered, everything was so vivid for Max. Counting the many times Chloe had died at the junkyard and then finding Rachel Amber. Max couldn't handle that, she didn't want to see the way Chloe was suffering back then and she definitely couldn't bare it now.

"Uhh no. I wasn't planning on it. Do you remember the old tree house we built at your old place? Well no one has bought the place so I thought It'd be a quiet place to talk." Chloe gave her a warm smile before patting her shoulder "I'm not a heartless monster Max, I know our limits." Max glanced over at Chloe quickly, she had no clue what Chloe meant, or if she was on the same page as her. "I would never call you a monster Chloe, you're my best friend.."

"Right partners in crime super Max."

This would have been easier of one of them didn't have a fucked up arm and if the other one wasn't a skinny twig trying to balance up the ladder made out of rope. "Now I see where all the brilliant ideas come from." Max huffed reaching the top with the help oh Chloe's little nudge over the edge. "All my ideas are brilliant Max, this just happens to be one of the more extraordinary ones." Chloe retorted back as she too finally reached the top of the treehouse. Of course the tree house needed a lot of work, chipped paint, expired snacks in one corner and sleeping bags in the next; there was even their old pirate get up hanging up on a hanger and just below that was a trunk filled with incredible goodies.

Max made her ways to the cushioned sleeping bags, grateful there hadn't been any animals sleeping in their little fortress. Chloe picked up the trunk and moved it closer to Max, she needed a place to sit too and Max and herself weren't seeing eye to eye at that exact moment. Chloe's body didn't feel limber but that's what happens when you sleep in a cot that was designed for children or a very short person.

"So tell me chloe is this an intervention with just you and your dead pirates." There was sarcasm in her tone but also a very hurt and lost girl,she didn't fret though.

Chloe sighed "This isn't about that. well it is but it's about we've been tip toeing about ." Chloe leaned forward her elbows resting on her legs while she cupped her own face in her hands. " Max I don't know how to say this. Max- Max I know you remember that day at the lighthouse, the storm. I know you remember by the way you look at me. You think i'm going to disappear, you think this is a dream and that one day I'm not going to be here. I get that this is the reason that you haven't gone back to seattle, you won't even spend time with your parents." Chloe raised her gaze back to Max who was nimbly playing with the brace holding her hand together . "What happened at the lighthouse wasn't your fault, what we shared we -I will never forget." Chloe choked down whatever was in her throat "You.. You helped me, you saved me from my own thoughts and my own actions Max, you saved from the trouble I was in. Saved me from Nathan and that's why you probably resent me, i-if it wasn't for me you would be fine. You wouldn't have been in that bathroom with Nathan; that prick. If you want to be mad and give up on something, give up on me. Give up on me and when your hand heals I'll leave, I'll leave this shithole town and you'll never have to see me again." Chloe now made her way down.

Max was trying to mask a brave face, the sleeve of her jacket wiping away her tears "Chloe I didn't save you to try and be the good guy." her messy hair shagging a bit, her eyelashes moist from her tears but the sun still shining on her face, her freckles standing out in all odds she still looked as beautiful as ever to Chloe. " I went back in time, I was going to go through it, I was going to let him do it. but I-I-I just couldn't lose you again. That was the last straw." Max held her legs together, she was so scared;never in her life had she been so raw with someone. "It was going or be you or me, I knew what I was giving up but you didn't. It wouldn't hurt you Chloe." Max started sobbing into her arm, cringing of the thought of losing chloe. "I can't do this anymore Chloe, I'm sorry. I love you Chloe." She tried in her sleeve

Chloe wrapped her arms around Max coddling her "I know, I love you too time warrior." if only you knew how much Maxine.


	8. Chapter 8

Holy fuck guys it's been three weeks since I have updated and I know and that's why I decided to make this chapter longer. Don't think I have decided to drop this just yet, I have plenty of chapters ahead of us and everybody is very angry with each other and others are just frustrated that nothing is coming along right (That's me guys, I want my gays to just fuck it and get together but they won't. Ugh.) Again I want to thank Richie for editing and actually listen to me plot because sometimes I need reassurance that certain things won't flop.

So anyways guys I can't wait to hear what you guys think. I truly enjoy reading single comment and when you do it makes me happy. Sooooo keep on sinnning, comment and fav (:

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It had been a few days and Max was now on speaking terms with her parents, they were happy but not thrilled that she opted not to stay with them' after all it was too soon.

Max was still staying with Chloe, and things had been different, even different from that night at the pool. Chloe was acting distant and of course ignoring the biggest elephant in the room; Rachel Amber.

Max tried to bring it up, to bring up that they should point the police to the body. Days had passed and yet they had not found her. Max also offered to organize a wake with all the people from school, to help everyone grieve properly; to help them heal together.

Chloe had dismissed her suggestions she wanted nothing to do with Rachel after the stuff she pulled with Frank, Jefferson and Nathan. Chloe was another string to be pulled along, a toy to be tamed and someone she could humiliate even further. Chloe was finished being everybody's puppet, so afraid of getting used just to be thrown to the side again and again and again.

Max pulled herself away from her thoughts when a smiling Chloe came into the living room and sat next to her like she had done dozens of times before. "Hiya Pete, what are we doing today?" Chloe raised her feet to the coffee table, knocking over some weird home decorating magazines.

Max unfolded her legs as they dangled over the edge of the couch "Well- umm I think we should go talk to Nathan." Max mumbled knowing how the idea was even excruciating to her, she couldn't imagine what the imagine was doing to Chloe.

"Max, I think you've actually gone mad; there is no way in hell that I'm going to see psycho Nathan. Do you not remember what he did? What he did to you; who was responsible for all of those dead girls including Rachel?" Chloe retorted back as she kicked the coffee table a little bit to the sliding doors.

.

"Chloe y'know that wasn't just him, Jefferson put these things in his head; he fucked with everyone's mind." Max turned her body facing pouty Chloe "Look, I think it would help me or even help you get closure. Look, before... before you wanted to find Rachel, but she still deserves her revenge and we should give it to her and all the girls that have come before her."

Chloe sat still with not even a whisper coming from her, her hands were like

glue, stuck together hoping that they would give her strength somehow. "I just don't see how this is fair. How I have to be the one to go looking for the guy who killed the girl I-." Chloe bit down on her lip before she said more than was needed to, she looked over at Max who was looking back at her with sympathetic eyes, her gaze followed her and she smiled softly.

"Chloe.. you're right it's not fair. None of this is fair, but we need to deal with this. We need to be the brave ones here and face this town because there's no way we can tell anyone about this. They'll think we're crazy, that I- that especially time warping- it's just impossible to everyone, and I'm never using it again, so what's the point?" Max looked down at her hand, for all that had happened, she was glad about what Nathan did, stopped her right in her tracks before she could wreck anymore of Arcadia Bay.

Chloe sighed cautiously leaning her head on Max's shoulder "You're really going to pull a Max Caulfield and make me do this, huh?"

Max felt hotter than usual as she brushed against her shoulder, the way her messy hair felt against her bare shoulder tickled her, Max managed to grab her beanie before it dropped to the floor. " If I didn't pull a Max Caulfield once a week then you'd really be in trouble." Max turned to face Chloe, her beautiful stupid face. Max smiled smugly, she was happy that Chloe was the one she got to experience this journey with, together they had promised they would take on the world, they had created a bond; something so raw and real. Max stood up straight with the beanie in her hand and inched toward Chloe, merely inches away from her lips Max tousled Chloe's hair before placing the beanie on top of her head "There. _Much_ better."

Chloe licked her lips as Max approached her, this was going to be it she thought, this was going to be the time where they just stopped stepping around the subject and just did it. Chloe gulped hard as Max looked at her dead straight in the eyes, was she nervous or scared or anything. Just lean in, Chloe _she_ made the effort now put on a brave Chloe could comprehend what was going on; the moment was gone, the small window that the universe had allowed them to share was gone.. it was her own damn fault. Chloe didn't want to disappoint so instead she gave Max a sly smirk "What? Are you saying you want to retouch my roots because I know if you do that I'll have to put some blue in you too." Chloe bit her tongue, the wording came out wrong and it was more awkward than she intended it to be. "I mean your hair would look nice.. uh with blue streaks." she tried to play it off before lightly punching Max's good arm.

Max furrowed her eyebrows with her hands in her lap "uh Chloe are you okay? You look a little hotter than usual- no I mean you're really red, maybe we should go for a walk." Now it was both of them getting flustered over nautical things.

"No." She sighed placing her hands on her laps as to prepare to get up "We should go see prick ass about _everything_. I need to hear it from him, I need to hear the words so I know that they're real, that everything we did was real and worth all of this." Chloe put her hands on her thighs and pushed herself up.

"Maybe after what he says we can look for the other bodies, I recognize one of the girl's name from the binders. Dana and Juliette were talking about how she lived in my dorm room before me and she like just disappeared. No one even cared to look at her, it's kinda weird that the police didn't question this. Jesus Christ why is town so fucked up." Max reached her arm for Chloe to pull her up and quickly got to her feet.

After a while from going around in circles around the town they had finally pinpointed where Nathan was at, at the Prescott Manor.

Chloe pulled up to the Prescott Manor, everything looked pristine and cold; exactly what they were known for. The butler answered the intercom at the gates, he was hesitant to let Max and Chloe in but when Max had mentioned she was with her lawyer, her punk too cool for school lawyer he very much obliged.

"Okay Chloe, I don't really want this to turn into a shit show. As you know, I won't be able to rewind because i promised myself that I would never use my power again. No matter what, so just _please_ behave around the Prescotts'." Max turned to Chloe before pulling her hood over her head as it was already pouring outside.

"Chill Maxaroni I'm not going to do anything stupid, Nathan is probably in deep shit as it is, but I will not forgive him for being so blatantly idiotic and shooting _you_ of all people." Chloe frowned turning off the engine of her truck and hopped out and into a puddle of water. Max trotted along staying close to Chloe as they started walking up the driveway and up the stairs to the manor. Max swallowed hard to remove the lump in her throat as she reached over to ring the doorbell. Missing her book bag and how she would play with the strap she played with the sling over her arm for comfort. The same man who had answered their buzzing at the intercom greeted them and asked them

to come in.

"If you could wait here, I'll have the Mrs. with you in any given moment." The clean shaven man made his way out of what looked like the den and into the parlor where Mrs. Prescott was; fulling her duties as head of the house.

"Wait we don't need-" Max protested but the older man was already out of their general vicinity. Max let out a heavy sigh, digging her nails into the leather cushion underneath where Chloe and she sat. "What the hell am I going to say to Nathan's mom; hey I know your son tried to kill me and all, but I still need to talk to him before he shuts down because you won't take seconds to talk to your only son _."_ Max scoffed already annoyed with the idea of the woman and dealing with this situation more precarious than anticipated.

Chloe placed her hand over Max's. "Look, we'll get through to her, she wants to protect her son; her family name. These people will do whatever it takes to maintain this level of arrogance. The first thing she'll say is that she wants to pay you off.." Chloe licked her lips and squeezed Max's hand tighter "This is so much more than money, your life is worth so much more than money can buy." Chloe leaned in picking up Max's chin until their eyes met "Max I-"

"Ah I was wondering when you were going grace us with your presence Ms. Caulfield, Ms. Price if I'm correct." She overlooked Chloe not at all pleased with her appearance."Come now, we must make this quick I have other more important matters to attend to." Mrs. Prescott walked in front of them, down the hallway and into her office. The older woman gracefully glided her hand across the two leather chairs in front of her desk "Please have a seat, this won't take long but I still want you to be comfortable." Her gaze was stern, the way she looked at both girls meant she had very little time to sit down and actually talk about Nathan, to talk about the big elephant in the room. No wonder Nathan was the way he was, no one was on his side here and it looked like that wasn't going to change anytime soon.

"Uh thank you. Actually we're here because of Nathan." Max mumbled a bit before she was cut off again "Oh course you want us to pay for this." She gestured to Max's arm "This whole thing that needs figuring out or whatever it is that you kids do these days." She took out her checkbook nonchalantly, like it was just some other transaction. "Now Maxine how much would you like to make this whole _accident_ go away." Mrs. Prescott picked up her very heavy pen and started waving it around in a circular motion.

"No! You have this all wrong. I want nothing from your family. I am here to talk to Nathan. I have to clear some things up. I'm sure someone like you can understand that. After all you have more important matters to attend to. Isn't that correct, Mrs. Prescott?" Max held back her own snicker and merely replied with a dashing grin. Mrs Prescott pursed her lips while holding back a few words herself "Is that so ? Well I'm not sure Nathan is up to receiving visitors that cause him so much distress; but given the circumstances I'll have someone take you to his room to see if he's available." Crossing her hands over the table she clicked her tongue before speaking again "Is that suffice, Ms. Caulfield?"

"That's a start, when and if we talk to Nathan, i'll let you know." Chloe butted in glaring over at Nathan's mother, she just couldn't sit there and listen to this woman for another second and that's not taking into account the way she was handling Max, Max of course was smarter than that and Chloe sure as hell knew it but know Mrs. Prescott has no doubt what type of people or just person her family will have to deal with, if things aren't settled in the span of days.

With a little more dignity than getting kicked out of her office,but not by much the older butler came back hurriedly escorting them up the spiral where; as Thomas had said _Master Nathan_ resided. A younger nurse had just stepped out of Nathan's room, looking razzled and a little pale she continued down the hall with her eyes glued to the ground as she passed the girls in the hallway. Chloe furrowed her eyebrows as her gaze followed the woman's footsteps to the washroom, her body was turning to follow her but Max placed a grip on Chloe's arm "I don't think she wants to talk." She spoke softly as Thomas announced both of them before setting foot inside of room.

Max closed her eyes and took a deep breath, finally coming face to face with Nathan after _everything_ , this wasn't exactly about her, it was about this town; Jefferson, Rachel, Kate and thank god but they knew that Chloe would have been next. Maybe Nathan wanted practice after Rachel, maybe he thought he'd cut back a ton to prevent Chloe from dying but that meant Chloe was able to fight back at his dorm. Like everything he's done; it was all to appease someone. If Nathan didn't work so hard to make Sean Prescott of Mark Jefferson happy he wouldn't be in this mess, he wouldn't be so messed up that he thinks he has to resort to killing people to keep quiet. No Nathan Prescott isn't a bad person, his actions are disgusting but he still has a chance to redeem himself, to be a better friend for even victoria. Poor little rich kids deserve happiness too.

Chloe put her hands on Max's shoulders and Max's eyes sprung open "I'm right here Max, if you feel you can't do this just tell me. You won't be doing this alone, I don't want this to go bad like before with the nose bleeds. I don't want to sound hella paranoid but I'm kinda always there." She gave a small chuckle following Max's lead inside, passed the door frame and their eyes fell to Nathan holding his arm as he wrapped a bandage over his forearm "Stupid bitch can't even draw blood." mumbling out he then noticed the people in his room. "If it isn't Maxine Caulfield and her punkass girlfriend." He scuffed out standing up to go walk over to his desk. "Came over to be the good little samaritan and bring me Mr Shitface's notes or what the hell are you doing here?"

Max rolled her eyes, maybe she was wrong and Nathan wasn't exactly savable.

"Cut the shit Nathan, you know why I'm here. Jefferson, Rachel, you and Chloe are all strangely connected. That's why you shot me right, Chloe wasn't there and I knew way too much. You owe me an explanation, you fucked my whole life because of this. I can never go back to photography, the _least_ you can do is step the fuck up." Max was raging, she could feel the top of her head getting extremely hot like when she would rewind. Max knew that she had to pull back, she had to take it down a notch if she was to prove to Chloe that everything is fine.

Nathan glared at the shorter girl standing in front of him, clenching his hand around his bandaged arm. "What do you want Caulfield. You don't know what _this_ is. You have no idea what you're talking about.

"You know what. you're probably right. I have no idea what your deal is but just give me a hand here and help me understand."Max was trying so hard to reach out but Nathan wasn't making it easy, Nathan didn't even want help; feeling the need to be more preoccupied with self loathing and still being the veil spoiled little rich kid.

"Look man just tell us what happened with Rachel, we know you had something to do with her disappearing so stop act fucking dumb. You're the stupid fucking reason she's gone." Chloe was now strutting closer to Nathan, knocking over several things along the way, knickknacks here and there. The tall girl standing over him looking as if she wanted deface Nathan. "Tell us what happened, tell us what happened and no one gets hurt. No one else has no know but us, you what had a thing for Rachel too right? That's the angle you're playing here, you had a thing but then you weren't the only boy in her life right. Jefferson, Frank and _maybe_ even Samuel the janitor were better off than you were. Did that bother you? You couldn't even keep up with the janitor for fucks

sake." As much as Chloe wanted to project every fiber of herself onto focusing on Nathan all her words were hitting her with every single blow directed at him.

"Shut up, just shut the hell up! You have no idea what I meant to her, we were it. Everyone else was just leverage, Frank the drugs, Samuel access to anything she wanted, Jefferson… he and I were a team. He wasn't into Rachel he was helping me with that. I brought her to our _meetings_ … our sessions." Nathan clenched his teeth locking his jaw in place.

"Stop shit talking. No one believes this shit. You didn't love Rachel, you just wanted to use her like everyone else. Rachel was so giving and she let it carry on too long and look what the hell happened to her. She was and I mean.. I was in love with Rachel I knew what it meant to her and you fucking bastards took her away from me. You took away this one hope we had in this whole fucking town, look at us now." Chloe turned from Nathan to Max "You're really screwed up if you think that this was okay! You almost killed Max, my best friend my- my-" Chloe clenched her jaw trying to keep herself from crying in front of Nathan. "How fucked do you have to be to think that someone like Max has anything to do with _this_ situation. If you even go near her again I will end you. I am so sick of this entitlement and whatever else your family pretends to be and you better believe that Chloe Price isn't afraid of death."


	9. Chapter 9

Max couldn't believe the turn of events, she couldn't believe Chloe, she had promised Max that she wasn't going to blow up; that she was going to give her a chance to talk to Nathan.

Taking deep breaths, just a few exhales before opening her eyes again "Enough!" Max looked over at Chloe getting in between Nathan and her "We aren't here for this bullshit. You promised me that this wasn't going to be a problem." Max's eyes sadden as her gaze rested over Chloe.

"That's right. You better control your guard dog Caulfield, before I call security." Nathan growled, shooting both girls an angry glare.

"Shut the fuck up you pompous ass daddy's boy." Chloe retorted rather angrily, trying to comply with Max's request.

Max shut her eyes again, this had been the first time since the storm that Max had even contemplated about using her powers; the powers she said she would never use. This much she had promised Chloe and herself. Max unclenched her hand that was resting on her sling, the start of her hand felt like a roar, maybe like starting a car but only she she could hear or feel it. As Max focused on trying to rewind, she felt the pressure on her head; like bricks on top of bricks just weighing her down. Max's head felt heavy and loaded, she looked over at Chloe who was too busy arguing with Nathan to understand what was happening. The trickle of blood spilled on the laces of her converse. Maybe if she pushed herself a little more she could give Nathan and Chloe another shot to do this over again.

After what seemed like moments later Chloe found it was curious that Max was rather quiet, she turned to her side; seeing the frail attempt of trying to rewind, the vein in her neck popped out and she looked paler than she had ever seen Max, even after the shooting. " Dude, Max! Max!" she didn't want to freak she didn't want to have to explain this whole situation to Nathan and the hospital again. She couldn't.

Chloe snapped Max out of it, she grabbed her wrist as gently as she could while still leading her away from this horrible mistake she was making. Chloe knelt down and whispered to her "What the fuck are you thinking Caulfield, do you want to fucking obliterate from here? You're not Harry potter, you geek." Chloe pushed Max's bangs out of the way and saw tears spilling down her face.

"I just want some answers and we're not getting them. This is partly your fault so if you want to blame yourself; go ahead Chloe." Max was outraged, angry but also very broken and sad about the turn of events. Max knew that Chloe wasn't the one to blame. Mostly everything that happened had made it's way back to Nathan as if he sole beneficiary sadly that was not the case.

"Jesus Christ, will you two just shut up already?" Wounded Nathan rolled his eyes and with a heavy sigh he got up and staggered his way to his safe, hiding in the section in his closet. "Look any day now the police will come looking for this, I can't offer anything else. I don't know where Jefferson hides the rest of it… he was only beginning to trust me, he asked me to bring someone I admired inside _our_ world." He paused making his way back to his desk while the two girls were still hunched over the floor. " I know what I did was wrong; with Rachel, Kate and you caulfield. I know Mark never really wanted Kate.. she was just there to keep him from lashing out. He wanted you, Mark was so adamant about it the whole time. The moment that he laid eyes on you; he just knew." Nathan rubbed his face, wanting to wake up from this nightmare. By the time Nathan looked back up Chloe and Max had emerged from the floor and now towering over him, they looked anything but mad, almost sympathetic to his words, even though the things he was saying disgusted them, they wanted to believe that it wasn't really him using them but rather to explain the situation that they both were in.

Handing an envelope over to Max she grabbed it in her trembling hands, still pretty shaky about her whole trauma, her headache mostly and nosebleeds or whatever you wanted to call them. Max lifted up the flap and inside there was two sets of papers, on one of them there was a long list of all the girls before her, dating back to the early 90's. Max couldn't believe this, this is how he got famous, how he made a name for himself. Inflicting this type of pain into his models for his "art." There was the second sheet of paper and in this packet there was a more detailed description of these girls; followed by the coordinates of where this particular person was seen last. It was all so very organized, these girls were either dead or hadn't remembered a thing from those nights that they had shared or in better terms; survived. Turning to the last page in the package, there was the locations as of now where the bodies were buried or where these girls still lived. The only thing that was really missing was the year that these girls had vanished and were tormented.

Chloe looked at the few samples that had been photocopied onto a separate sheet of paper, her heart ached for all the families whom had looked for these girls, who continued to look just like she did. Months of this bullshit search when those fuckers knew exactly what happened to Rachel, how was she suppose to move forward now. How could she just let it go?

"How can we even believe a thing he's saying? Look, come on Max, we know that it was him that killed Rachel. HE killed her and didn't have the balls to come forward. He tried to fucking kill me twice!" Chloe bit her tongue, technically the second time had not happened thanks to Max but it would have happened and it was going to happen if Max hadn't been to stupidly stubborn.

Max was still leaning against Chloe with the biggest headache as she walked away. "I can't fucking deal with you right now Chloe, you're unreasonable and lashing out at me when I didn't do a goddamn thing. I think if you're not here to move past this; just for right now..this situation, then you should go." Max waved her away, Chloe felt her heart heavy, she couldn't believe that Max of all people was siding with Nathan. Psycho Nathan; the one who had tried to kill both of them, the one who was responsible for all of this fucked up shit. Without the Prescott money Jefferson wouldn't be able to pull this shit and he knew it from the second he urged his father to invest in Jefferson.

"Fine just fucking fantastic. You're actually taking _his_ side over your best friend? Oh great, this is going to be just like before, so these bullshit promises that you were gonna to be here with me were just that huh?" Chloe knew she was pretty harsh but she counted on Max and her best friend was willing to let her down again because of a stupid empathetic boy.

Max ran her fingers through her hair letting out a heavy sigh, the

blood on her nose clearly flakey by this time. "Chloe.. it's not like that. I never lied to you, we both agreed that we need to be here. We _both_ need to be here to discover the truth about Jefferson and his ill mind. I need you with me to figure this out." Max tugged on the bracelets on Chloe's hand, pleading the older girl to stay and help her figure this out, social injustice to the girls all along the coast; trailing back to them.

Chloe huffed as she tugged on her necklace containing the empty shells of bullets close to her chest.

Chloe shoved the stacks of papers to Max's chest "I am done here. Finish up whatever you have to do with this scum but i'll be waiting outside for you… take all the time you need Max." Chloe gave Max a tight squeeze on her shoulder before dragging her feet down the stairs and out of the Prescott mansion, she knew that being that close to the person who killed Rachel was dangerous, and she had no clue as to why she had agreed to this meeting. The blue haired girl slumped down on the front porch, being torn and stabbed at, in one hand she wanted wanted to protect Max; she wanted so much for this sweet caring girl. On the other hand she was torn because of Rachel.. her _friend._ Who knew where Rachel and she would be if that eager spirit were still alive, things would have been more confusing with Max back. How could it be possible to love two people at the same time, how was it even possible that one of them was dead?

Max stood in awe her eyes following the trail back to Nathan, she stepped closer closing in on whatever he was doing.

"I guess I really should work on my aim and that stupid bitch would be off my back, you're dumbass would be dead and everything I worked for would have a purpose. Do you know what shit this has been for me and mine, because of you. You and solely you are going to pay for this fucked up shit." Nathan picked up a gun strapped to his desk and pointed it back at Max, his hands were shaking; in his mind this is how Nathan would take care of all of his problems. "You might have wanted to give your punk trash a goodbye kiss before you left for good."


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: So honestly this has been the biggest break I have taken but I needed sometime to get back to the things I love. I have finally picked up a book and actually felt giddy these characters and I have felt the same when I was writing this. I want to thank Richie for pushing to keep going and owe him so much for editing and instilling this sort of confidence again(:

Keep on sinning, Comment, follow and Fav you gays (:

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"You think you have any clue what it is to be me? To have this fucking legacy haunting your every move.. controlling my future?!" Nathan pointed the gun toward Max, his hands shaking and with a rapid pulse he numbly shook his head, searching within himself for the right words, to prove to everyone that he's not crazy... just suffering.

Max buries the heel of her shoe into her stance, her hands in the air but she's not scared, not of this, not of Nathan.

"Nathan just listen to me." Her voice as soft as ever, anxiously she bites the inside of her cheek as she speaks. "Your mom and dad do not define what you are or what you have to become.. you can get away from this town, from the tie to your family name. The matter of fact is, that even though you're a Prescott, they don't _own_ you Nathan."

Nathan clenched his jaw while Max spoke, his dry throat making it impossible to pass the lump in his throat. Nathan regripped the gun, his palms sweaty, but he still had the safety on. The scared boy kept the words that hung in the air in the back of his head , he's heard them so many times from Victoria and from his sister.. the only people who Nathan could really trust.

He took a deep breath, running his fingers through his hair with the gun still in his hands. He had no clue how to respond, how to act, or who he's trying to become. If he's not a Prescott, if he didn't obey his parents rules and guidelines then what will become come of him? His worth won't mean anything... Nathan was nothing if not a Prescott. And not just a prescott but one that takes charge, the girl in front of him meant nothing to him, just a dumb naive girl.

Nathan paced in his room, opening the doors to his balcony, maybe ending someone else's life wasn't what he wanted, maybe he will never get a happy ending himself because that's just how the universe worked..

Stepping out barefoot into the the cold pavement, he sucked in the fresh air he stepped back and faced Max again "You know how fucking stupid it was to sneak up on me in the fucking bathroom, how insanely fucking stupid it is for you to come into my home and demand an explanation, proof against what Jefferson did? Did you not realize I was at his side for a reason ?" Nathan paused taking in a slow breath " He gets it, he got me, he was willing to help me with my shit and deal with it as it came instead of tossing aside what I feel, I thought he was making me better.. I thought if he could care then why couldn't my own flesh and blood." Letting out a shaky chuckle he raises the gun to his head. "Turns out we're both just as equally messed up, he and I are the same and that's what no one will understand."

Max's vision became blurry, her head must have been deceiving her; blinking a few times, she realized that what she saw in front of her was the reality she created. Max fell to the ground, her mind playing tricks on her; games she could no longer play with herself. The small girl on her knees crying and screaming within to make it stop, to make Nathan stop from hurting himself "Please, please just go away. He can't go, we can't go.. I'm doing the best I can." She sobbed on the floor, holding her head. She felt a strong energy inside, it felt heavy, and very fragile, trying so hard to be strong and let herself get through this. But the more she pushed herself the louder her cries become.

The second Chloe heard screams and shouting coming up from the manor she bolted, Nathan and Max were both screaming, they were not necessarily talking to each other; just chaotic blurts. Panting up the stairs, she turned the first corner and into Nathan's room. Scanning the room for Max, who was curled up in a ball. She slid next to her as she dropped to the floor, Nathan whom at that point had put away his toy and now his hands occupied a damp cloth, a strong scent like rubbing alcohol.

"I-I-I don't know what happened. I swear I didn't touch her." He tried bringing the drenched rag to her nose but Chloe slaps his hand away.

"Don't get near her." Chloe growled, picking up Max, trying her best to be tough with how out of shape she was, gritting her teeth she stood up tall carrying her best friend out of the manor and into her beat up truck.

"Max you gotta stay with me, we're going to get you out of here, you're going to be okay... I _promise._ " Chloe wiped away her tears, grabbing the same damp cloth from before, tilting Max's head against the headrest and dabbing intoxicating rag on her forehead and at her neck, wiping her face hoping the smell would help her come back.

"Maxine I swear you better be okay."

Max lifted her head from the ground slowly, a light beaming down her face; covering the glare with the palm of her hands, it was really hard to adjust her eyes to her new surroundings. She wasn't really sure what was going on; her head was throbbing, her muscles ached and she felt funnier than usual. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a slim figure pushing the creaking door open, they didn't speak, didn't laugh and didn't even make a single sound.

"Hello? Is anyone in here." She called out thinking that maybe it was her mind again, her stupid fragile mind playing these ridiculous games.

The figure approached Max, crouching down to her eye level and with a giggle this person proceeded to move Max's hands out of the way.

"Well hello there you precious little thing." This person's voice was so inviting, so familiar but yet so distant.

Max, squinting her eyes sat up straight a little. At first she couldn't make out who it was, this person wasn't someone who she knew but she did know of her.

" _Rachel Amber?_ Is that you?" Now that the name rolled off the tip of her tongue Max was trying to piece all of this together, now she knew exactly where she was at. A place that all three of them had touched and felt and grieved for something. They were at the Junkyard, in the little shack out just blinded from the rest of the world.

Rachel smiled, it was radiant, she was radiant... of course she was.

"Yes Max it's me." She reached her hand to help Max up from the floor.

"I thought that maybe now was a good time to talk, I know you and Chloe have a lot going on so I won't take much of your time." Rachel brushed a strand of hair out of Max's face revealing her pouting.

"You want to talk to me ?" Max's expression was puzzled, her gaze followed Rachel Amber, Max didn't know what to expect from this encounter. She didn't know what version of this girl she should believe; which was the true Rachel Amber and which had her friends and classmates made up along the way. There was one version she had to believe in and it was the version that Chloe shared, the version where Rachel Amber had been there for Chloe, to protect her to be a guiding light in all the dark times her best friend might have faced.

Rachel Amber nimbly ran her fingers over her graffitti on the brick wall before looking up. She smiled flipping her long hair over her shoulder, revealing her long blue feather earing. "Oh Max, you're so silly. Of course I want to talk to you. I've heard nothing but great things about you. You know that Chloe won't stop bragging how great you are, how great you've been to her." Rachel Amber grasp Max's wrist and pulled her outside to the junkyard, unlike any other day the sky is covered in dark grey clouds and out of nowhere the water comes pouring on both girls. The raindrops drenching the their clothing, Rachel Amber has a wide smile on her face, screaming with laughter, jumping into the big puddles. Rachel's damp hair clinging to her face and her eyes are like rays of sunshine whenever she smiles it feels contagious, warm and bubbly to be around her, even if all she was now was an enigma.

Max has her arms wrapped around her waist, she was cold and extremely wet but watching Rachel so intensely, at first a bit of jealousy pangs her chest, she wants to be as free as Rachel, to be so carefree.. she doesn't realize until she looks past the puddles and the rooting girl in the middle of the junkyard where exactly their location is at.

Rachel tilts her head back down, rolling her neck; her eyes closed feeling as ease with nature and feeling at peace with the surroundings. Rachel slowly fluttered her eyelids open and inches her head to Max's direction, the corner of her lips tug up into a smile. "Hey there cutie. Don't worry, I don't bite ." She trots over to grab Max's hand and hooks her arm with Max's, making their way to where Chloe and Max had recovered her body, now it was nothing more than just a crime scene, yellow tape plastered all around the area including part of the school bus.

Max nibbled at the corner of her lip as she looked at the plot no more than a foot deep. Finding Rachel's body was always a hazy memory one that was always in the back of her head. Both Chloe and Max had cried, had grieved for everybody's dream girl. Thinking back to that very perplexed day Max too lost something so important and she doesn't know if this thing is something she can ever get back or if wishful thinking is just what it is. Max lost a part a Chloe, a part of Chloe that shined and thrived, the idealist and the one who instilled them both with so much undying faith.

Rachel got on her knees and started playing with the dirt that covered the remains of her body, the moist soil slipping through her fingers before she dusted off her hands on her ripped jeans. Rachel's head cocked to the side to look up at Max. " Max I know how hard all of this has been but I want to thank you for coming back in time to help Chloe through this journey. You see.." Rachel flickered her eyes to the lighting in the distance and then back to Max. " Chloe.. my best friend, she is strong, she is so very strong. She takes after Joyce." Rachel plays with her feather earing composing herself. " But she is also broken, and fragile. The things I did and the things I hid from her are because of that. I want you to know that I never meant to hurt Chloe, I never meant to hurt you in the process either. I admired you for being so good to her, being so good to me too; for caring so much about a dead girl. A dead girl that meant absolutely nothing to you." Rachel turned her cheek, a stream of tears falling from her face, wiping them away with the sleeve of her flannel.

Max sits down next to Rachel resting her head against the other girl's shoulder "You come with the Chloe Price package, she loves you and I don't think that will ever change and by extension I feel like I know the parts of you that she loves." Max's voice now cracking "So please help me do right by her, help me get better." She whispers.


	11. Chapter 11

Max feels a tingling in the pit of her stomach, apart from that her senses are all over the place, she's not sure how she musters enough energy to open her eyes but she does. It's nighttime and she knows she's not somewhere she recognizes. She squints her eyes, adjusting to the lighting. Max pressed her forehead to the cold glass window, it feels nice considering that her head is still in a frenzy. Not long after she hears some mumbling in the driver's seat, she jerks her head left to her as her gaze rest on a sleeping Chloe.

Max nibbled her bottom lip almost forgetting completely what had happened at the Prescott manor, what horror she must've put Chloe through. The thing was that Max didn't cause this, she was not responsible for whatever this episode was and wanted no part in the backlash she would receive once Chloe woke up. Max pinched the bridge of her nose, mortified of what Chloe will do, would she even believe the things Max has to say?

Max couldn't deal, she doesn't even know if she wants to confront this head on. Grabbing her hoodie from the space in between Chloe and herself she quietly takes off, tying the arms of her hoodie around her waist and slinging her messenger bag over her shoulder. Max pulls out her phone to check the time, it shows a little after 11 P.M. Max keeps walking straight down to another alley, she's never been to this side of Arcadia Bay, it gave out more of a downtown Seattle vibe. Max comes across an underpass, it sounds like a busy street up top but she isn't necessarily paying attention to that, what she does see is the graffiti filled tunnels, it's just a vivid place in the middle of nowhere. Examining the art Max smiles to herself as her fingers glide over several layers of amazing art. Max can't believe her eyes, it's so beautiful it's so empowering.

There is an incredibly loud honk that startles Chloe awake. She brings her hands just above her head filtering the light in her eyes. She wanted to make sure Max hadn'tt hurt herself in her sleep, another one of those crazy nosebleeds is not what they need right now. To Chloe's surprise, Max isn't in the passenger side, none of her belongings are in her truck, shutting her eyes tight Chloe bends down until her head land in the palm of her hands. Chloe rubs her temples, she doesn't know why all this sadistic shit keeps happening to her. Frustrated, she bangs her steering wheel with her fist, her knuckles turn red, they tingle but the numbness soon dissipates.

Chloe turns the key to her truck and the engine roars to life, her phone is glued to her ear as she drives away from the parking lot, the ringing continues, and with no luck it goes right to Max's voicemail. She turns a corner and at the far end of the tunnel she sees a girl sitting on the ground, staring at the wall with a bright blue bird tucked away in the corner. Chloe thinks maybe this girl has seen where Max has gone to, maybe the other people Rachel and she used to party with took off with her best friend.

Chloe clutches her phone in her hand pulling up to a curb. Killing the engine, she hops off her car and struts down the tunnel to this idle girl sitting on the dirty sidewalk.

Chloe approaches the brunette, her hoodie showing enough to decipher who the figure was. Without wanting to frighten the girl she quietly crouches down and places a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey there stranger, what are you up to all alone?" Chloe barely mumbles dusting the dirty spot on the ground next to Max, hugging her knees she stares at the one spot that her best friend can't keep her eyes off.

Max doesn't even blink an eye, doesn't turn to face Chloe isn't even all that shocked that it took her no time at all to force herself awake to be there with her.

"I-I... just look at it Chloe, look how beautiful it is out here." There's a smile on Max's face it's so sweet but it's also sad like it's forced. "That was hers right? Or it was done for her because they all knew huh? Everyone knew they couldn't keep her caged in Arcadia Bay." Max points to the blue bird, Rachel Amber's bird, the one thing in this town that could not be mistaken. How was it even possible that after one encounter she felt empty without Rachel, without her presence and energy?

Chloe knitted her brows together staring intently over at Max "Yeah. That was hers. She always thought she was a bird, I can't tell how many times she sprained her arms and legs because she was being so careless." She chuckled to herself softly nudging Max "If you think I'm bad she would have you tearing your hair out." Chloe leaned closer to max, placing an arm around her waist, soothing her.

"Do not tell me that you both wanted to be birds together? _If you're a bird, I'm a bird._ Then you call me hipster trash." She laughs leaning in to rest her head over Chloe's shoulder.

"Okay I won't tell you but.. we we're totally birds at the beach." Chloe kisses the top of Max's head sitting in silence for a few more moments. "You could be a bird too Max, you can be a bird with me and just get out of this hell hole, there's nothing more here for you or me. Nothing to keep us tied to this place."

Max let out an exasperated sigh "Chloe but there is something for you here and for me too." She shut her eyes trying to remember how vivid her dream had been last night. "Rachel Amber is still here, I-I don't know what it is but I can feel.. no I can sense her energy here. Like she's in the night breeze or the sun shining in the morning, I always feel like I am being guarded." Max pushed herself off from Chloe pouting a bit "Do you really want to leave all of this behind?"

"Max please.. she's not even here anymore that's just crazy. She left me in the dark when she knew I was the one person willing to help with no strings attached, now you're talking about some crazy shit about Rachel Amber as a ghost or some kind of animal, spirit or whatever." Chloe rubbed her sweaty face with the helm of her shirt.

"No you don't get it, you're just so willing to give up on everybody, you probably pulled the same shit with Joyce. You don't understand anything I'm trying to say. What I'm telling you is that my time here isn't completed, my purpose or destiny or whatever for coming here is still in some sort of loop unless I move forward." Max pulls up her long sleeve shirt up to her elbow showing Chloe the exact same bird that was plastered on the graffitti filled wall, and just underneath there was something written in Rachel's handwriting; _Rachel was here, still here little Doe._

"Chloe I'm not crazy, I don't know what this is but for once in my life I know that I'm not scared. I need this to be a clue. I need you to figure this out with me, best friends forever right?" Max timidly pulled down the sleeve of her shirt, looking at her Chloe.

"Shit Max I know you're not crazy but just like put yourself in my shoes. One of my best friends has been rotting in the ground and then you come up with this idea that you want to be you want to be connceted to her and that I shouldn't grieve in my own way. Now tell me that I don't jump hoops for you but this is just insane. I've been putting up with this shit because I love you and we are a part of something better. Why don't you get that, get what I'm trying to tell you. I fucking love your naive ass and you're so fucking blind to see that." Chloe finally turns resting her hands on Max's shoulders, softly shaking her "Can't you see that, after all this time.."

Max blinks a few times with her mouth opened trying to find the right words to say, biting her lip thinking hard how to conjure the syllables into words, she can't feel it but her body is moving more than willingly, Max leans into Chloe brushing her nose against the blue haired girls', the petite girl numbly running her fingers over the flannel of Chloe's shirt before pulling her in a tight embrace, gripping the collar of her shirt tightly as they both come in hungrily finding each other's lips.

"I love you too Chloe Price."


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Hey! Guys I know I took forever on updating but I have been going through some stuff. Finding a place to write has been really difficult, my sister has recently passed away if you guys keep up with my stuff then you'll know that my sister was in a horrible car crash and it's been about two months since that has happened. For the moment I'm trying to find comfort in the things I like. And the girl I was seeing shortly dumped me right after that so her timing was perfect! Don't you guys agree?

Anyways I would love to hear what you guys think of this chapter, Max is going through some not so cool stuff but nothing she can't handle but is Rachel trying to drown her or save her? Let me know what you think and as always stay gay, comment, save and sub!

xoxo

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Max didn't know how or what she took to make her forget but they were back in Chloe's room, Chloe sprawled out on the floor with a flood of papers being used as a pillow, the papers that were being used to piece another puzzle all together.

Groggily Max got up from the bed, tugging her shirt down as she came up to a sitting position over the edge of the bed. Rubbing her eyes before her vision comes into place and her gaze falls down on Chloe, her long time friend. Could she even call her that, it had been only one kiss, maybe two if they were counting the one at the lighthouse. It was Chloe though and maybe she was feeling things that might hurt either one of them, always imagined it like that. That after so much time lusting over Rachel it would be impossible to live up to her. The queen of Blackwell as she was once known as, she doesn't want to be the rebound but she also does not want to let Chloe down and for that matter.. herself.

Looking down Max tried to rub the bird off her arm, her wrist started to burn. Squeezing her eyes shut she managed to keep calm. Wanting to take back all that she said last night about Rachel, it had been so incredibly stupid to tell Chloe about her dreams, something that had seemed so intimate with this person - no she hadn't even been a person, she had been a presence, a presence that she put so much undying faith in. Chloe was ready to move forward and Rachel was stuck in the past and no matter what she did; nothing would bring her back, there was no point to any of it, she couldn't even rewind mere seconds without having a neurological breakdown. No matter her reasoning for giving up. Max kept looking over at Rachel Amber's things; in the small box tucked just behind the mess of a desk.

Max got up sluggishly tip toeing her way to the open window, there wasn't much going on outside, there was only the sound of kids playing on a bright saturday morning. Carefully lifting off the lid of the contained box there wasn't much to see. Apart from what Max had already seen in the box tucked beneath Chloe's bed there were more pictures in this particular box. Pictures that told stories, stories that mere words didn't do any justice to the various trinkets. Max flipped the picture in her hand over it dated 09/2009 and nothing more than with a bright red lipstick matted on the back of the photo. Could it be that this is when things started to come around for Chloe? Two girls in the woods burning an abundance of knickknacks in the roaring firepit. Max held the photo in her hand and walked to the corkboard in the back of Chloe's room, pinning down this memory in the middle of all the other treasures on her wall.

Slowly Max came behind Chloe, sprawled out on her back as her small form turned on her side, pressing against the taller girl she smiled placing a lingering peck on Chloe's bare shoulder. What was she supposed to do, how would this change everything between them.. Max knew she felt this way for quite some time but actually coming to terms with it was... strange. Lust was just the smallest feeling, she was coming to terms with. Max loved- no.. loves her best friend and that was her biggest obstacle because it meant to decide if what she needed to do is do what's right for all or what was right and good for Chloe.

Chloe fluttered her eyes in the tight embrace, It felt odd waking up in her own room but with her whole body asleep, sleeping on a sleeping bag and used her arm as a pillow. She had Pushing away the papers from her face as she stretched and brought her arms over her head, her body shook from the awakening that traveled within her. As the tall girl smiled and reached over for Max, Chloe slung her arm around Max's shoulder kissing the top of Max's head. "Hey small fry how'd you sleep?" She of course felt still her whole body ached and sleeping on the floor didn't help but she knew she didn't want to push Max into something that might have been scary for her.

Max numbly started chewing on the inside of her cheek, slightly pouting she sighed before looking up at Chloe " I don't know, it felt weird with you here and me on your bed... tell me again why you thought that was such a great idea? I mean don't get me wrong I love having you suffer for me but.." She smirked but yet bringing her eyebrows in as she furrowed them. Max twirled her finger around the loose thread of Chloe's shirt,trying to push off from the taller girl but failed as Chloe refused to let her go.

" There are reasons you wouldn't understand. " She teased grabbing Max's arm. "Not so fast Caulfield, where are you going in such a rush." Chloe hovered over Max; lowering her body so her hands were right next to Max's head as she leaned down brushing her soft lips over the smaller girl's set jaw making her way to Max's lips, leaning up Max placed feather like pecks against Chloe's lips and her arms hooking around Chloe's neck bringing her in down .. closer. Chloe took the opportunity to embrace her with an one arm hug bringing Max in closer; wanting to cradle and protect her. Not before long max's arms were on Chloe's chest softly pushing her away. Max didn't want to get tangled in this mess before breakfast or before even brushing her teeth. "Easy there, you can wait a little longer right ?" Max played with Chloe's hair pushing her bangs away from her face and stunning blue eyes.

Chloe nodded "No I know you're right. We shouldn't be wasting time like this. So what are we doing first boss? Donuts, coffee, bacon and eggs?" Chloe plastered a huge grin on her face before helping Max into a sitting position.

"Only if you cook, I want to see what I've been missing all of these years." She teased Chloe, leaning to kiss her soft and deeply, cradling the back of her head before pulling away.

Chloe fluttered her eyes open biting down on her bottom lip "You're going to be trouble, I can already tell." She smiled kissing Max's temple before standing up.

"Ha Ha." Max teased as she pushed up on her knees. Max looked around the room feeling a little jaded, taking small steps over to the pile of clothes scattered all over the floor. The smaller girl sat on the edge of her bed tugging her pants on, tight around her ankles before slipping her Converse on. " I only meant the best of intentions." Max turned away from Chloe slipping her shirt over her head, a little timid, fumbling to buckle her bra on and simple tank top on with a flannel hugging her waist.

"We need to go to Jefferson's apartment or black room, we need more clues. I say we look for more victims, look at those files and keep trying to go after him and whoever it was that helped him, y'know everyone besides the prescott's... Speaking of they owe me a favor. Nathan will help, he will do the right thing I know he will."

Exhausted Chloe rubbed her hands on her face before looking up at Max. "Maxine. Max. What is going on in that pretty little head of yours?" Chloe raised her eyebrow giving Max a disapproving look. For the most part everything that Max has done had seemed so petty, everything but the visit to see Kate. The trips to the hospital, the one trip to see Nathan, that one time had almost cost Max's life again. Chloe fluttered her eyes rapidly before finally getting to her feet and sitting side by side next to Max.

"What was this whole deal about Rachel, I just think it's laughable that you and her put your neck in the line because you think that Nathan is going to solve all your problems, the prescott's don't care about anything or anyone if it won't help them out in the long run." Chloe turned to face Max, brushing the shorter girl's hair back, tucking a strand of hair behind her pink ears. "It's not just about me anymore, it's about you and I promised your parent that I would look after you. I don't have a whole lot of time to convince them to let you stay here... with me. "

Max flushed to a shade of a plum, she had no idea that Chloe would be the reasonable one... she supposed death did that to a person. " Oh Chloe, don't you know by now that I'm not leaving you. My parents they mean well.. they can try but they can't take me away not again, I'm 18 and It's my decision, to stay or leave." Max looked to the floor and then again over at Chloe, her eyes glued to her features, envisioning waking up to her face on the weekends and spending as much time with her best friend, yeah she knew that neither of them were perfect and they were very much broken, but the pieces would come together and they would mend and just be them. "I won't go because having you back in my life has been such a blessing and I know you don't believe in this destiny bullshit but it is destiny. You and me. You got that?" Max reached to grab Chloe's arm, keeping her close and mindful of what she was saying.

"Aww that's so sweet. Now you see this is what Chloe was talking about. Her good o'pal Max." The voice came from the open window, the curvy girl propped against the window half of her body and the other swinging over the frame. Rachel pressed her forehead against the dirty glass. Writing in the dust plastered on the window Chloe + Max + ?= Eternity

"Come on Max. Let's have some fun." Rachel giggled


	13. Chapter 13

Rachel hopped onto the floor, her legs all bruised just as her arms had been. Its is not how she remembered Rachel in her dream, _this_ Rachel had seemed so ominous and incredibly troublesome. Rachel walked with a sway to her hips, a smile plastered on her face she sat down right on Chloe's lap.

But the thing was, Chloe didn't move, didn't flinch or get taken back by any of this. She was there with her arm outstretched to Max but looked confused, worried and her mind preoccupied as well.

There was a familiar voice echoing in the back of Max's head, repeating the same phrase. "Max! Hello. Earth to Max." Chloe waved her hand mere inches from Max's face.

Max blinked her eyelids rapidly, her attention pulled back to Chloe and Rachel.. "Sorry I thought I saw something." Max craned her neck before placing her palms on the bed and Rachel slowly reaching out to her, softly brushing her fingers against Max's. Max was terrified she didn't want to turn and look at the announced dead corpse.

Rachel ever so delicately came on her knees on the side of the bed and began to whisper

"You need me here, she needs me here. There is so much that you don't know. So much that I can't just explain in dreams, I want to help you discover the truth and I don't want you guys to be scared when it comes around." Max fell back into the bed, her hands coming over to cover her face, how could she keep this from Chloe, or the better question how could she explain that she could see Rachel, could touch and feel her. How could Max prove that she wasn't the one going crazy, that she was sane enough to stay here with both of them.

Max jerked away burying her nails into her palm, grabbing Chloe's attention again. "Max you alright?" Chloe cocked her head to the side trying to figure out what had Max going off the walls.

"No.. I mean, I am. I just need air, I just really want to get out of here. "

Chloe nodded with a hand on Max's shoulder "Yeah, just give me a second. I'll get ready and we can leave." she squeezed tight before pushing off the bed and standing tall over Max.

Max nodded brushing past Rachel who just sat there, not saying anything, but either way she stood up, following in stride behind Max. The brunette grabbed her book bag and slung it over her shoulder, adjusting the strap.

Max turned around trying to look past Rachel and back at the only other living person in the room. "I'll be out back, I want to say Hi to David and Joyce if they're here. Twisting her body forward she began to walk when she stumbled on a loose board, Rachel grabbing her arm forcefully keeping Max from falling flat on her face. "You better be careful there Maxine, we wouldn't that pretty little face to get busted up as it is. We have enough problems, _babe._ " Rachel helped Max to her feet again and hooking her arm through Max's pulling her down to the first level and out to the backyard, past the sliding glass doors.

Chloe watched Max go, there was something seriously wrong with Max, the mumbling and the spasms. She knew Max hadn't been the Max from before, her hand and all but this wasn't just physical devastation. There was something emotionally that she wasn't telling Chloe. Chloe's mind lost in thought, mindlessly she slipped a clean pair of jeans and a clean but wrinkled muscle shirt from her closet.

On the way to the bathroom she thought about what she said about Rachel, how could know all these hard hitting facts about the once flamboyant girl, the thoughts were starting to drown as she splashed her face with water and started scrubbing her face with a cleanser.

Chloe furrowed her eyebrows dabbing a dry towel to her face, her bare feet barely touching the surface of the hardwood floors as she skidded across the hallway and back to her room. Pushing back the mess of her closet she tried looking for her Jacket, throwing everything across the room, she finally set eyes on her light brown jacket and shook it out. Forgetting that was where she kept the letters that Max had written her so very long ago.

Chloe then sat down on the chair by her desk, draping the jacket over the chair and tore the next one down the line. She paused, wondering if this was still a good idea.. Max was in her house and if she knew she had the letters, these personal pieces of her old life, clearly there must have been a reason the letters were kept for only Max's eyes. No she would figure it out later, Chloe felt that this was actually the only reasonable thing she was doing.

Taking a deep breath she began to read the letter

 _Dear Chloe,_

 _I don't know if you know this but Seattle is lake town, I have been trapped in this god awful house for nine days straight. This is why those damn vampires came to this state, they can't glitter here. I feel like I haven't felt the sun on my face in so long. When you see me i'll be more pale than you :0_

 _Dad and I went to the docks the other day and I took pictures of the faerie boats, it was a mini version of the titanic, if you think birds taking a massive load on deck is romantic then yes, this is the ship of dreams, boat of dreams? idk it's not that big, I'll attach a picture so you can see. At the beach and up in the woods it feels a lot like home. Not physically more like it feels like you're around, like I can just turn around and I want/ can see you there. That's the only problem. That you're not here then I wouldn't have to write about boats and stupid shit-birds. I don't know if you're still mad or if you'll get this since I haven't gotten anything from you but here's to hoping.._

 _Love always Max xoxo_

Back at the swings, Rachel was pushing Max, her sneakers being caked in dirt as they dug into the dirt tunnel between swings. Max looked at her palm, reciting the lines in her hand, facing her knuckles out she revisited the lines on her palm. Max's powers had felt so foreign, the sensation still there, like starting a car. The engine of the car was broken but it was still fighting to turn on and not be replaced by a new and better working engine, that's how it felt, that getting replaced now was the only option.

Rachel stopped the swing and came to sit right in front of Max, the blond girl got a hold of Max's hand and pulled her onto the grimy dirt. "Come I'm pretty good at this astrology stuff." Rachel said with a huge smile on her face. Before Rachel did anything she wanted to look the part, flipping her long luscious hair over her shoulder and taking her feather earring from her lobe and softly brushed it over Max's palm.

"I don't really believe in this Rachel, you'll just be wasting your time." Max scrunched up her nose, it's not that she didn't believe in it, it was more so that she didn't want to know that the bad things were going to come. Or how limited her time was with all the good things in her life that were yet to come.

Rachel tilted her head trying to read her, she nibbled on her bottom lip trying to think of a plan, something to ease Max. "Wait. Close your eyes," She whispered to Max removing her scarf from her neck. "No peeking you sneak." She teased Max, wrapping her scarf around her eyes. "Okay, just follow my voice. I'm going to use my feather to draw energy from you and I will just talk about what I know. Deal?"

Max nodded once, she probably looked stupid in the middle of the yard holding out her hand with no one else in sight, but she was used to this crazy-eyed gaze that Chloe always gave her and this might actually be worth that.

"Okay. First I know you're a Virgo." Rachel brushed the feather over her veins just against her pulse point on Max's wrist. " I know that you are intelligent, reliable and modest." Rachel grinned "That sounds like the Max i've come to know." Rachel pricked at Max's fingers with the feather "But you are also very very much reserved. I know that too. You are doing just that right now. You won't tell Chloe that you can see me, you don't let her know that what we're doing is impossible and you don't want to share what you've found."

Max's entire body went cold, she swallowed hard trying to jerk her hand free but Rachel didn't allow it. She jerked away, she was scrambling trying to get the blindfold off but when she finally opened her eyes she didn't find Rachel, she found chloe sitting there with a feather between her fingers.

"Max? What are you doing?." Chloe looked confused, nothing could explain her little episode as she came back into the light. "Another question. Why do you have this blue feather? What were you doing to yourself.." Chloe hugged her knees examining the familiar object in her hand.

Chloe placed the feather in her palm and let the wind carry it away.

"Come on slowpoke, we gotta go, a whole day ahead of us and stuff. I was thinking that we start at the junkyard, there's a mess of a crime scene there and I actually want to show you something." She tilted her head, running her fingers through her hair before placing the beanie back on her mess of a hair. "It's nothing bad, I promise. But.." She nibbled on her bottom lip before returning her gaze back on Max " I dunno, maybe you'll get mad. At me, your parents, at yourself."

"Gee Chloe you're so dramatic, i'm actually super chill if you forgot."  
"I didn't forget, but I also know that you didn't talk to me for years... I still don't actually know why.." Chloe lightly shoved max back with her finger against her the shorter girl's shoulder.

"Yeah I.. Can we talk about it another time." Max face flushed, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up

Rachel's hand faced palm up touching Max's forehead "Yikes you should really that checked Maxine, we can't afford to have you ill now, we have so many people to see. First impressions are key!" Rachel pulled Max down on the ground, the girl's head resting on Rachel's lap and Max looked up at her, the sun glaring at her face. Max raised a hand trying to block the sheer brightness.

Chloe flickered her eyes around, the perimeter around Max, it looked as if she wanted to reach up and touch something, her body was leaning against air and it was so strange to be around that. Chloe laid down right beside her, turning on her side with a hand tucked just under her head. Plucking wild flowers from her yard, making a pile next to Max's head before placing one behind her ear. " Okay now this one reminds me of you. It's the most wilted but it's the one that stands out the most. It is the one that is fighting day in and day out to be here with the others, to stay alive. To be happy. I want you to be happy little flower."


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: So do you guys want me to make the next chapter smutty or do you just want to skip ? Let me know!

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"So what.. now you think I'm a delicate thing, like this stupid fragile flower?" Max spat back, she sat up straight pushing strands of hair out of her face even the pieces of grass stuck to it.

"Uh no. You're like this flower because even though I plucked it from the ground, it still has life and is kicking all the other pretty little flowers asses. Y'know what? This flower isn't just pretty it's strong, willing and beautiful. None of the flowers can compare to it." Chloe arched her eyebrow leaning on her elbow, propping herself up. "What's even up with you today... you're not you."

"Nothing is wrong with me. I just.. You see me as this delicate thing. You try to shield me from all of it..this town. Like you make it seem as if I couldn't do the things you did with your other friends, the things you did with Rachel Amber. Tell me Chloe am I not good enough to get the whole Chloe experience because if that's the case then I should go. Obviously I am not doing you any good." Max replied digging her heels into the dirt hole in the ground.

Chloe pushed off the ground feeling the grass underneath her, slowly she approached Max wrapping her arm around her neck, she reached for Max's hand lacing Max's fingers with her own. "Listen you are experiencing the whole Price effect." Whispering into her ear letting her chin rest on Max's shoulders. " You already know who I was, who I am now. You are different, you are not like everyone else here and that means I can't be careless with you." Chloe cleared her throat before continuing speaking in hushed tones. " I was once careless and I- we paid the price for that. Literally the price. I was here one minute and the next I wasn't. I supposed that's because of you. All that you did and all that you had to see. I don't mean to coddle you, I don't mean to keep you from doing what needs to be done, but you know I promised a lot of people to keep you safe and that includes your precious parents, I promised mine and I promised myself. It may not seem like much, and I know it's not what you want and you don't have to appreciate it but it would mean a lot to me if you could accept what I'm trying to do. If I make one wrong mistake it's over for both of us." Chloe turned Max around forcing the corner of her mouth to curve, chloe's eyes scanning Max's face before placing a soft peck of the bridge of her nose.

"The only thing we're missing is time." Chloe mumbled under her breath.

Max sat up straight looking up at Chloe, her arms and hands lingered around Chloe's waist. After several unnerving seconds passed Max pushed off turning her body toward the taller girl. "Chloe.. I'm sorry. I know you're going through stuff too and I don't want to dismiss it but you have to know none of this is on you. No one is expecting you to do it all. "Max played at the loose strands of hair away from chloe's face, Max knew she was playing with fire that Chloe too was playing hot and cold with her and it wasn't fair to Chloe but she didn't know what to do bottled with up emotions. "I don't expect you to save me Chloe Price." Max's lips curved into a smirk as she inched closer, brushing her nose against the taller girl's and then her lips. Her breathing became shallow as she spoke " Not unless you mean it." She whispered pressing her soft lips against Chloe's full ones followed by a surprising soft moan escaping her lips. Forgetting where they were Chloe grabbed Max and lifted her up on her lap, grabbing the back of her head for a more hungry embrace of their lips. Chloe mesmerized by Max, her hands on her waist traveling up her back, lifting Max's shirt right when a cold breeze passed through them, Max became small again curling against Chloe. "Chloe.." Max scolded but not before burying her face in the crook of Chloe's neck "Were still outside and your dead cat is still in the yard.. maybe if it weren't so cold you could have gotten away with it." Max teased wrapping her arms around Chloe's waist tighter afraid to let go.

"You're the one that said you didn't want to be sheltered, this is what living with the Price family is like Caulfield." Chloe teased kissing the top of Max's head. "Come on then, I have something I want to show you."

Chloe pulled up to the junk yard again and she could already sense Max's uneasiness when she turned off the engine. "Okay I know you don't like it here but I promise it's nothing bad this time." Chloe raised her hand over her head in a mock surrender "See I didn't even bring dirty hands to this dump." Chloe tried to suppress a grin but failed as she reached over Max and opened her car door. Max sighed pulling her hoodie over her head as the rain poured on the hood of the truck. Chloe raced over to Max's side and tugged on the smaller girl's hand taking her to the shed in the back.

After the investigation the police had snooped through the whole lot so forgotten caution tape was scattered all over Chloe's little oasis. Chloe reached into her pocket pulling out her dad's old swiss pocket knife and started cutting through the tape rapidly not risking being stuck in the rain for much longer. "Gotcha." Chloe hissed almost ramming her shoulder through the door, ushering Max to run inside , to the corner with the chairs before pulling the doors shut.

"Well it's not like I don't appreciate your Chloe cave but what are we doing here?" Max wrapped herself in her jacket, teeth chattering and legs bouncing off the floor. Chloe tossed her jacket on the couch and started ripping through the floorboards "First we needed to get out of that rain and second I want you to explain some things for me."

Chloe pulled out a stack of letters hidden in a shoebox, getting up on her feet again Chloe slowly made her way back to Max, shuffling the thick envelopes in her hands. Max furrowed her eyebrow huffing when coming to the realization what Chloe was holding " I-I can explain. but.. why don't you start, how, who, when did you get those." Max pulled her hoodie down letting the light touch her eyes. Chloe nodded taking a seat beside Max "When your parents loved me." a small smiled played on Chloe's face "When you were in the hospital that first time, right before you woke up.. you had a reaction. I snuck up to your room to see you but when I touched you and you stopped breathing, I freaked and I couldn't calm myself down. Your mom came prepared I guess. The rents gave me these. They said they always knew, they didn't trust you to make the right decision so I guess in time with their help hoped that you would." Chloe shrugged finally looking up to face Max rather than the letters "I read a couple but I would like if we read one together. If you could read it to me. I want to know what it was like for you."

"Wait what did you know? You knew what these meant to me and you read them anyway ?" Max took the letters from Chloe, running her fingers over the stamp and carved in pen on the envelopes. Max closed her eyes trying to imagine her 13 year old self mustering up the courage to write Chloe night after night, sitting on her bed with her biology homework open and a glittering pen dabbling on paper. Now looking back, how could she be such a coward even back then. When she knew her best friend was alone and she could have done something to help her deal with William. To have Chloe reach out to her too, Seattle was so dark and lonely for the first year but fear ate at her like it always did. " You should be mad, you shouldn't be excited to read these. I forgot about you and that's all it was." She wanted to give Chloe the excuse of not pursuing these letters any longer, to never let her know that she never was here nor there.

Chloe shook her head "No way Max, those letters are addressed to me, there wasn't a moment that passed that you didn't look for me." Chloe place her hands on either side of her Max's shoulders giving her a tight squeeze." You don't have anything to be sorry for. I don't have anything to be sorry for. This happened for a reason, neither one of us gave up. You didn't give up on me... do you know how happy that makes me. Do you know how many months I couldn't sleep because I thought the opposite for the lack of contact." Chloe gave Max a sad smile not because she was sad, no it was because this is the one thing in a long time that actually felt good.

Max sighed fumbling with the first letter on top of the stack, looking at Chloe then back down at her hands she tore open the edges and braced herself. Clearing her throat she unfolded the paper and began.

 _Hi Chloe. It is I your Ol' pal Max. The year is 2009 and I'm still stuck in this universe. ( You were supposed to be reading that in a robot voice, something like terminator or like a really really old robot.) Guess what happened, what happened to me because I sure as hell did not choose this. So here I am wasting my days away reading those old zines we used to make, you know the one where we morphed Wonder Woman and your face it was beyond epic, so anyways my mom says I've been moping around the house, like obviously she hasn't seen all the amazing photos I've been taking in this town. I followed this crazy rain storm all the way to the pier and found this guy talking to his toaster like right in the middle of his little row boat. My guess is that he was calling in a higher power. So mom didn't buy it and signed me up to be in mini prodigies orchestra. So first of all I'm thinking aren't we supposed to be like six y'know like Mozart was and even Bach was like 8. So this whole name is giving them a bad rep, I feel like I'm living a lie. Now second of all I have no musical talent, remember when I broke your drum set in fifth grade and that was the end of our iconic duo. I'm playing a flute where I have to learn how to blow things? In a certain way. Anyways I'm in too deep to fake my death because we have a performance for the veterans or something at the space needle and it actually makes no sense because there's like a romance ora that circulates the place, like it's haunted with rich old dudes. There's possibly one upside to this there's this girl who plays the triangle/percussion and she's a total bitch in the best way possible, also she reminds me of your can do attitude (; don't make fun okay but I think she's super cool like she said her mom worked at quantico, do you imagine doing that all the secret agent stuff. What chaos you would cause Ms price! Write back soon. I want to visit and plan our next heist together._

 _Love your partner in crime xoxo_

As soon as she put the letter down Max was flushed bright pink, trying to hide her features over her messy hair.

Chloe smirked nudging Max "I didn't think anybody could compete with my can do attitude. Amazing where do I meet this girl. let's go now."

Max groaned hiding her face in her hands "Chloe.." Curling on her side Max mopped hiding from her 14 year old self, how humiliating it was to relive her most awkward years.

"Come on it wasn't that bad, I am one step closer to finding out who your first crush was. This drummer girl, everything I wasn't. Now tell me Max did she teach you how to play drums? Did she get behind you and guide your hands?" Chloe was only now teasing, she smiled placing a hand on the small of her back, Chloe placed her cold freezing hand under Max's shirt on her lower back, making her yelp and jump swatting Chloe away.

"I did not have a crush on her, I thought she was cool. She wasn't my first crush by the way. I'll have you know I have many others besides drummer girl." Max sat up inching toward Chloe "Come on take me to the dorms I have something to show you."

Chloe and Max reached the dorms after class was over, everyone was either out by the quad or hanging around the dorms. Chloe didn't really know what to expect being back at the school and even if it was good for Max. Still Chloe kept up pace with Max, she could tell that Max was trying to avoid speaking with anyone, even though she didn't leave in bad terms, she saved Kate for crying out loud and in everybody else's eyes she and Chloe solved the missing case of Rachel Amber. Everything was in a daze until they reached the dorms, the air felt cold even though there was welcoming faces crossing paths with both Max and Chloe, even Victoria Chase acknowledged them with not much more than a nod in their direction. Chloe stayed close behind Max until she unlocked her door and entered the sun soaked room.

"Sit." Max ordered as she closed the door behind her, everything looked just like how she left it but sadly so was Lisa, wilted away by the window. Chloe shrugged kicking off her boots and slouching down on the couch " I mean I was gonna do it anyways but give me more of sassy Max won't you." Chloe grinned tucking her arms under her head staring up at the ceiling.

"Har har just wait, I said I had something to show you. And no it's not my halloween costume." max reached into her sock drawer and pulled out the picture in the frame where the two of them were dressed up as a pirate and in the back of it was a letter, it wasn't really a letter it was an old note, folded into a hundred ways, knowing it was something that Max came back to for comfort or for some sort of guidance.

Chloe sat up as Max approached and made room for her on the couch. Timidly Max was back to her old self, she set the picture faced down on her lap and started fumbling with the paper in her hands, it wasn't big by any means but it felt heavy on her heart and her sleeve and practically every part of her body. Max smiled at Chloe and she reached for her, her fingertips barely brushed over Chloe's knuckles. "Okay this is when I knew, when my parents knew, when your parents knew, that I was so stupidly blind and I didn't tell you." Max unfolded note very delicately the edges already on the verge of ripping, taking a deep breathe before going on.

 _ **Chloe I really don't know how to put anything into words but I'm going to try to put these words into pictures and one day maybe I can tell you, one day I won't be me but I'll be great and you'll be proud. I think.. I love you. I don't know how this happened, why it happened but when I look at you I know, I know that it's not something that I can make up or something that I make manipulate. I don't know if you feel it but if you don't that's okay, Someday it will all be okay.**_

Max put the note down and picked up the frame from her lap.

Max turned her gaze back to Chloe and then the picture, pointing to the two of them in their pirate hats and puffy shirts "This is the day I knew. This is the day that I wrote that letter. I wrote it and I never gave it to you. It was before the accident, it was before I moved away. It was before everything." Max started crying silently afraid to look at Chloe now and Chloe was just looking at the letter, tracing her fingers over the crumpled paper just trying to memorize what it said and to think back what her 15 year old self would say. Finally she collected herself and sat closer to Max.

"Max you knew before I did and that's what killed me, you knew when you still had me at your side and I knew when you had left to seattle." Chloe wiped the tears from Max's cheeks very gently with her thumb, Chloe cupped her face and continued speaking "Listen.. it took me maybe a day since you had left to figure out my own feelings. I.. I didn't know it, I didn't know how to get to you to tell you. I didn't have a way to tell you. You didn't give me a chance. I would have gone to you if I knew how."

Chloe caressed Max's face with her knuckles "Like I said before I thought you forgot about me, that I didn't mean anything to you. but I know it's not true now. You're just too much of a chicken shit." Chloe laughed against Max lips, slowly Chloe pressed her lips against Max's gingerly savoring her lips. Chloe pulled away talking softly, brushing her lips to Max's jaw line and then to her ear "I know that I loved you then and that I love you now, that whatever I had with Rachel was nothing compared to this and I think you know it too."

The hair on the back of Max's neck stood up, leaning against Chloe's touch she didn't have any reason to object to what she was saying. Max brought her lips back to Chloe's, the kiss was messy and desperate but she didn't care, she had waited so long for it to be like this, to finally wash away any and all doubts away.

Max straddled Chloe's lap, she was taken back by how much she wanted this but also how much they both did. Max gingerly ran her thumb over Chloe's bottom lip and smiled to herself before leaning in and slowly and teasingly nibbling on it. Chloe moaning ever so softly "You're such a tease caulfield." Chloe mumbled slipping her hands under Max's shirt, pulling it over her head. Chloe hands ran up and down Max's sides, two fingers rested under Max's chin pulling her down for a kiss but not to her lips but to her Jaw. Chloe ran her tongue on the outline and feverishly kissed at her jaw, nipping roughly at the skin. Max was hot, she inched closer, her torso at Chloe's disposal but she need more, bucking her hips to align with chloe's, she rolled them creating friction. Chloe grinned guiding her lips to Max's neck, her kisses were feather like and trailed all along to her collarbone...


	15. I love you

A/N: This is my first time writing smut so if this is not your thing you can skip the chapter, it doesn't add or change anything to the story. I'll try to get more writing done this month. If there's anything you want me to touch base on lmk! As always comment and fav and keep on being your gay self (:

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Max straddled Chloe's lap, she was taken back by how much she wanted this but also how much they both did.

Max gingerly ran her thumb over Chloe's bottom lip and smiled to herself before leaning in and slowly and teasingly nibbling on it. Chloe moaning ever so softly "You're such a tease caulfield." Chloe mumbled slipping her hands under Max's shirt, pulling it over her head. Chloe's hands ran up and down Max's sides, two fingers came to rest under Max's chin pulling her down for a kiss but not to her lips but to her Jaw.

Chloe ran her tongue on the outline of Max's jaw and feverishly kissed at it, nipping roughly at the skin. Max felt hot and short out of breath, she inched closer, her torso at Chloe's disposal but she need more, bucking her hips to align with chloe's, she rolled them creating friction. Chloe grinned guiding her lips to Max's neck, her kisses were feather like and trailed all along to her collarbone.

Max's eyes fluttered closed, with her arms looped around Chloe's neck afraid that she might fall back. Chloe rested her hand on the small of Max's back, whispering softly into her ear "Don't worry Caulfield I won't let you go." Max smiled nibbling on her own bottom lip, she felt her stomach flip, afraid to look at Chloe because she knew if she did she would melt all over again.

Chloe started out by nibbling on her earlobe, slowly teasingly slow marveling and savoring how sweet Max smelled. It did things to her too, she knew that Max was becoming impatient but it didn't matter, she wanted Max to want it, to want her more than anything. The things she would do to her, the stories Max probably heard were true and all she ever wanted was to do them to Max. Chloe lifted her up carrying her over to the twin sized bed, hovering over Max eagerly stripping her shirt away too.

Max gracefully ran her hands all over Chloe's bare arms, she wanted to tear away at every piece of clothing separating them, her eyes resting on Chloe's hips, how her tight pants clung snug on her body but all she wanted to feel is how sharp her hip bones were, what damage they could do to her, how badly she wanted graze her mouth over them, at every inch of Chloe to be exact.

Max's thought were lost when Chloe's tongue was back on her skin, her mouth hungrily attracted to her neck, the sensation was torture. Max couldn't tell what made her life hell, was it the feather like kisses or was the biting, the pulling or the teeth being dug into her flesh. Max's mouth only seemed to know Chloe's name in those dire moments. Chloe finally made her way to Max's chest, reaching behind her and unstrapping Max's bra. Chloe let her chest breathe before she wrapped her mouth over them, at first it was only the areola, pinching the opposite one she gave attention to. Chloe felt Max arch up to her and chloe looked up at the petite girl, satisfied by how much she was squirming, the smile played on her lips before she so very slowly started to tug off Max's pants.

Max lifted her hips to help Chloe, practically kicking off her favorite pair of Jeans. Max pulled Chloe back up, pressing her lips to her throat and Chloe tilted Max's chin up, her face aside. Chloe whispered wicked things against her ear. Max grinned and unbuttoned her pants.

Chloe kissed her softly, twice. Then her head tilts, dips, and her mouth closes over Max's heart. As she kisses Chloe's burning skin, a shock shudders through her.

Max was the one she never knew she was waiting for, and as long as she's willing she would never let her go.

Max kissed at Chloe's bare shoulders and how slowly Chloe dragged her nails down her back. Shedding everything until skin met skin.

Max shivered at the delicious sting of Chloe's jaw as she trailed kisses down the dip in her navel, at her fox smile as she drowned her out in feeling. Soft, muted, dreamy waves of colors at first-ochre and umber and rose with her tongue. Max's breath caught, and she needed- She needed.

"Hurry" pleaded Max.

"Slowly" Chloe replied.

Chloe thrilled at her rising, aching, swelling sound as she drew out every torturous kiss. Her muscles tighten and tremble and she grasps the sheets and Chloe glances up, needing to see her face.

Max is wild. And Chloe has never seen anything more outrageously beautiful in her life. But then Max threads her hands into her hair and pulls.

As Max drew Chloe up against her, Chloe's fingers inside her, there was a pinch of scarlet. "Are you alright?" She asked, her voice gentle in a way Max never heard before.

Max breathed "Yes" as the color softened and faded before it became more intense, Max pulled her closer.

Chloe slides one hand up her back and Max's ankles lock around Chloe's waist and takes Chloe in with those fathomless eyes. They are connected: hands, limbs, mouths, bodies, souls. No one has ever known this. Max kisses Chloe and its as if there is sugar on Chloe's tongue and champagne in her blood; she wants to drown in her taste and scent and sound. Max is the body electric ; she is the high that Chloe has been chasing but never caught until now.

Nipping. Pulling. Teasing. Tasting. Max feels every stroke Chloe makes and feels the slight pressure on her clit, her vision is blurred and she can't think, she doesn't want to think, she just wants to tell her how much she loves her but words don't come out, she's lost in her own thoughts and in Chloe's touch.

Max raised her hips to meet every slow, intricate sensation, as they blended and feathered and blushed her into something radiant. The colors glossed and glazed into something bold and bright.

Chloe moves and her scales lengthens, stretches, rhapsodic and gorgeously violent as her eyes grow dark and threaten to close.

"Stay with me." Chloe growls, trying to bite back her own desperation, her fear that she'll slip away. She never wants to looking at her from here. "Stay"

They flutter open- she's still here. "I need to hear you," she begs in that voice, and I can't refuse her, not anything. Not now, not ever.

 _Je t'aime. Aujourd'hui. Ce soir. Demain. Pour toujours. Si je vivais mille ans, je't appartiendrais pour tous. Si je vivais mille vies, je te ferais mienne dans chacune d'elles._

I love you. Today. Tonight. Tomorrow. Forever. If I were to live a thousand years, I would belong to you for all of them. If I were to live a thousand lives, I would want to make you mine in each one.


	16. Sink or Swim

A/N:So here we are again, I had to at least finish my part two of Chloe's fun. So like I said I don't know if you guys like these chapters and would me to keep doing them? Just let me know, and if you don't like them don't worry I'm still continuing the story. So how do you guys think the girls should celebrate on officially being a couple? Who should go all out and who's parents do we tell first? Haha. Anyways keep on sending me comments I love hearing what you guys have to say. Keep being gay and have a wonderful night! Like and fav as always (:

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I love you. Today. Tonight. Tomorrow. Forever. If I were to live a thousand years, I would belong to you for all of them. If I were to live a thousand lives, I would want to make you mine in each one.

Max could feel Chloe's tongue and the way her words sounded and twisted in the pit of her stomach, her heart soared and Max couldn't take it, her world bursts into color as she was taken over the edge. Her breath came in shallow and barely audible pants. curling her finger into the blue haired girl's' scalp, tugging at Chloe's limp hair Max brought Chloe back up for a tender kiss.

"Wowser." Max breathed against Chloe's lips.

Chloe threw her head back and barked out a laugh "Only you Caulfield."

Chloe smiled brushing Max's messy bangs from her damp forehead.

Max rolled her eyes shifting on her side, lacing her fingers with Chloe's before she kissed at the other girls' knuckles. "There will come a day when you beg me to wow your world." a smirk curved at the corner of Max's mouth "And I may or not make you wait another 5 years for it." Max rolled over on top of Chloe, straddling her lap, softly Max gripped Chloe's shoulders pushing her down on the mattress.

Max tucked her own messy hair behind her ear, brushing her lips over Chloe's, pressing her lips against the taller girl for a deep kiss. Nervously Max fumbled with Chloe's buttons on her skin tight jeans, tugging them off as fast as she could before Chloe thought to helped kicked them off.

Max grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around snug over their bodies, the small girl came back down her fingers lingering over Chloe's face and slowly to her long neck and over to her collarbone, all the way down to her bare arms and to the ends of her fingertips. Max brought Chloe's hand to her lips and smiled deviously as she kissed the back side of her hand and slowly placed Chloe's fingers inside her mouth, slowly but eagerly suckling Chloe's fingers.

Chloe bit her lip, she was already drenched but this... it was torture. Chloe grabbed the back of Max's head and brought her down smashing their lips against one another, taking advantage Max raked her fingers through Chloe's hair and tugged on it roughly while her free hand roamed down Chloe's middle and down to her hips where she tugged at the helm of her panties.

Max pushed her knee in between Chloe's thighs feeling her clit peek through her panties and tauntingly started to tease Chloe through the fabric.

Chloe muffled a moan against Max's lips, her hips buckling on instinct and her hands already trailing Max's spine, holding her close and safe in her arms.

"Slow." Max mimicked Chloe's words

Max's lips curved into a wicked grin and slowly she grazed her lips down the base of Chloe's skin, chloe felt on fire. Lips at her neck, at her throat, felt as if she couldn't breathe. Arching her back Max softly pressed her lips in small pecks, trailing to Chloe's shoulders, grazing her teeth before she bit down hard pulling at the skin. Chloe's arms at her side and her fingers digging and reaching for the sheets around them.

"Max please." Chloe mumbled.

"Not yet." Max replied.

Max aligned their hips together pulling Chloe's waist closer to her, Max rolled her hips, skin meeting skin. Max pushed chloe's hips down making her immobile, feeling the taller girl squirm underneath her brought a smirk on her lips.

Max licked, sucked, pulled and bit down at every soft and sensitive part of Chloe's skin.

Chloe was in a trance a wonderful and blissful escape.

Max spread Chloe's legs apart, tugging away her panties, settling in between her thighs. Max softly kissed at them and smiled, her kisses were feather like, pecks taunting Chloe's nerves. Teasingly, slowly Max ran her tongue to Chloe's inner thighs, Chloe helped the shorter girl, bringing her knees up and pushing Max's soft brown hair back.

Max pulled Chloe's legs up over either side of her shoulders and continued to kiss at Chloe's inner thighs while she stroke her legs, Max inched closer starting to kiss and pull at Chloe's lips, cupping her mouth around the top of Chloe's slit and pushed her tongue against the hood.

Chloe managed a soft moan as she softly pulled at Max's hair, pinching freely at her nipples.

Max let out a moan herself, as she discovered the taller girl's clit and started flicking it slowly, achingly slow in small circles. Max's eyes darted up at Chloe and silently asked if she was doing alright, as a response Chloe dug her nails into Max's shoulders and mumbled softly "Fuck, please don't stop."

Max's hand resting on Chloe's hips, it lingered there and slowly roamed to Chloe's slit, rubbing it softly, feeling how wet she is and bad she wants to pound her small delicate fingers inside of her. So she did just that. achingly slow she slide her fingers against her walls and brought her mouth over Chloe's clit, Max's breath was hot and her nimble fingers curled into chloe.

Chloe let out a series of whimpers, her hips bucking against Max's mouth and her walls tight around Max's fingers. Max pumped her fingers, viciously slamming the palm of her hand against Chloe, her tongue running over the length of Chloe's clit before she began to slowly suck on it.

" Fuck Fuck Fuck." Chloe moaned shutting her eyes tight she moved in sync with Max, her back arched and she pulled Max closer as she tugged hard on her hair. "Don't fucking stop. Max please."

Max buried her face, her mouth and tongue moving frantically and her fingers were like wave after wave on exhilarating pleasure, she could feel Chloe's walls starting to clench and that only drove Max to accelerate, pumping her hand as fast as she could, driving her fingers in deep begging Chloe to cum for her.

She felt it then, Chloe's walls pulsing, her nails on her back, on her shoulders, and lastly on the strands of her hair. Nothing else filled the room except Chloe's moans and she was safe to say that the whole floor heard it, Max blushed and smiled at that.

Chloe slowly brought herself down and then pulled Max back up, her face hurt so much from smiling, she had never thought that she would feel this happy, to know that her best friend.. that they shared something so special and that no one can take the moment away from them.

Chloe pulled Max into her arms with an infectious smile, Max was the one to wrap her arms around Chloe's neck and string her along for a soft kiss, it sealed the beginning of a new beginning and together they would take every corrupt asshole out.

"So now I have to ask." Max said after she pulled away from Chloe "Did I wow you?"

Chloe smirked, wrapping her arms tightly around Max's waist "From day one babe." she said smiling against Max's lips.


	17. Chapter 17

LOOK I have no clue who told me it was a good idea to write a new chapter during finals week.. This may be crappy, but hey it should hold you over until I can actually write something decent.

Love you all and I may write a Christmas special apart from this so keep an eye out for that.

As always comment, fav and subcribe!

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Max was the first to wake, back in her dorm room with Chloe stirring right next to her. It had been like this for the last couple of days, isolated from the rest of the world. it had felt like some sort of relief and a form of release as well.

Max rubbed her eyes wiping the sleep from her face and getting to a sitting position, Max pushed off her bed and numbly walked over to her desk, sitting down getting to work once she opened her laptop. What surprised Max was that there was a document open; but that wasn't what had struck her, it was what was written down... typed out was a whole conversation with Rachel Amber and herself.

This had been her and Rachel, last night or even the time before that, or even after what had happened with Chloe, being with Chloe seemed to have its repercussions.

AmberInTheMirror: Hey Max! (:

CameraWithaTragedy: Rachel? ,,, Hi

AmberInTheMirror: Don't do that, you can't just disappear. You just shared an incredible moment with Chloe, you have to spill.

CameraWithaTragedy: I um,,, I didn't. I mean I'm not hiding. You're not even real, you can't be. I can't tell anyone about you because they'll stick me in an asylum. Probably in Washington in the middle of nowhere. No Chloe, no Rachel Amber, do you get that ?

AmberInTheMirror: Don't be silly, I won't ever leave you. (;

CameraWithaTragedy: (Insert groan here)

CameraWithaTragedy: You actually can leave. I can't keep talking to you, keeping Chloe away from it. She's getting,,, curious.

AmberInTheMirror: It's CHLOE she'll understand. It's me, I can reveal myself if that's what has you all upset. D;

AmberInTheMirror: Max... I won't hurt you.

Line disconnected

Max shut close her laptop, bringing her head to the cool surface. Sucking in breath she let the oxygen get to her head before processing her conversation with a ghost, she couldn't believe that it was still happening, she thought after Chloe she would forget something so stupid and so absurd. Rachel Amber was dead, what could they both possibly gain with this "Friendship".

Chloe stirred in bed before she slowly came up to a sitting position, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and bringing her knees under her chin.

Max looked over her shoulder and smiled "Hey sleepy head, you finally ready to get out of here." Max twirled her chair around and faced the taller girl.

Chloe groaned "No way.. " she replied with a smirk forming on her lips "But my mom is being a mom and wants me home. You too." Chloe smiled scooting to the edge of the bed.

"Chloe I can't face your mom, she'll see it all over my face. Yours too." Max whined , running her good hand over the one in a brace.

"Please maxaroni my mom isn't all into the technical shit, she just wants to see that you're doing alright. You're not even a student here anymore. You haven't been for weeks." Chloe rolled her shoulders back before she reached for her pants and started tugging them on. "Plus I need a change of clothes.. your stuff is way to small for me." Strutting towards the mirror Chloe tried combing through her hair with her fingers before putting her ragged old beanie on.

Max rolled her eyes "Look we have more pressing things to do than have dinner with the parents. Remember Mr. wells wheel chair ramp money ? Well we need it if we're going to go out there and find the rest of the bodies. We need David's keys and a way to get drunk principal wells to cough up his own set, it's going to difficult without my powers but I think we can do it."

Chloe spun around on her heels "Wait what do you mean,,, you want to leave now ?" Chloe put her hands on top of her head "We've been gone for a while, Joyce and David are going to know that something is up. Do you think that paranoid ass won't try to track us all along the coast?"

"We can always lie and tell them I want to see my parents, that I want to contact them and ask them to let me stay. I'll play nice with my parents for a while until we get there, eventually we'll have to see them." Max trying to convince Chloe got on her knees with her hands clasped around each other.

Chloe bit on her lip, holding back a bark of laughter "Fine. You win, we'll play at Quantico tonight and we'll go play CSI somewhere along the coast." Chloe ruffled Max's hair and smiled before grabbing her keys to her beaut of a truck. "I'll meet you here after curfew. I'll be here." She pointed at the bed with a playful smirk on her face.

Max rolled her eyes swatting her in the arm. "I'm gonna kick you out when the time comes Price."

Back at the Price house hold Chloe tries to wrap her head on how to tell Joyce about her plans, sure she's been away from home before but things are different now, she knows the real dangers out there and maybe Jefferson was really on his own, maybe he has others doing his dirty work, other motives and with much more to lose.

Chloe enters the front door, she hears Joyce rummaging through the kitchen and she hangs back by the archway at the door.

Joyce looks up at her daughter with an endearing smile "Hey, there you are stranger. Foods in the fridge if you need to fuel up." Joyce narrowed her eyes looking past Chloe's shoulders "Where's Max? Did you too get into a fight again?"

"No. Mom listen, Max wants to patch this up with her folks, she wants to try to convince them to let her graduate here.. the thing is that they refuse to come back down here and if it's the only way for her to stay then I want to go with her. I think I could compel the Caulfields that being back together is what would be best for Max." Chloe rubbed the back of her neck, averting her eyes from Joyce.

"Well looks like you got it all figured out huh? I know I can't stop you but I appreciate you telling me what you plan to do, I know you and I know Max pretty damn well. I know that both of you are capable of taking care of yourselves but I worry." Joyce placed her hand on Chloe's back giving her an encouraging pat on the back "Be careful out there Chloe, I want you to have your phone at hand and if I hear any excuses I will go up to Seattle and look for you myself ." Joyce gave her a sincere smile before she placed a kiss on her temple "Go on now, go pack I'll go give the Caulfields a ring when you two head out."

With that Chloe gave Joyce a hug before she went running up to her room, emptying her suitcase full of beer bottles and cigarettes into a large black trash bag. The tall girl packed her bag for up to a weeks worth of adventures, snagging David's keys before making her way back to her old truck.

Back at the dorm room sitting on her couch, Max starting the threads on the tips of her fingers, the energy flowed through her and it felt so good to at least be able to control one thing in her life. She missed it. She missed the reassurance of it all.

A bing pulled her out of her thoughts, she looked at her phone but that wasn't it, her laptop came to life again with the very same bing. It was Rachel Amber.

Max sighed pushing herself off the couch, dragging her feet to her desk and placing her bum on the soft chair. Gliding her fingers over the touch pad she wakes her laptop back to life.

AmberInTheMirror: Hey

AmberInTheMirror: Are we cool?

CameraWithaTragedy: I don't know.

CameraWithaTragedy: It's not like I can call the ghost police, ghost busters right?

AmberInTheMirror: Good thing im not a ghost babe (:

AmberInTheMirror: I dont like what you told chloe this morning, i think its a bad idea,, i fear what you might find.

AmberInTheMirror: I cant tell you alot of things but you need to stay away the others. this is so much bigger than jefferson.

CameraWithaTragedy: You're really starting to freak me out. What do you mean you fear.. what is it? I'll take care of Chloe, she's safe with me. I'll do what needs to be done.

Just then Chloe comes up behind Max and barely brushes her hand on Max's shoulders- causing Max to jump and turn around, trying to hide the display on her screen.

"Hey, geez you scared the crap out of me." Max glares at Chloe for a moment before getting up and slowly closing her laptop without Chloe noticing it.

"You are way too wound up, are you sure you want to do this tonight?" Chloe's gaze followed Max around the room, her light blue eyes wandering.

Max bites her lip turning on her heel to face Chloe "There's something you need to know."


	18. Still Here

A/N: Wow it's been close to a year.. I can't say I've been busy but I have and I've been sad and sometimes that consumes us but eventually we find our way back to the things we love and we move on.. I just have a question for those of you who are still reading, do you want short chapter or longers ones? I have the time on my hands to cater to your needs.

Take care love Jenn (:

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Chloe looks at Max quizetly "Uh sure what's on your mind?"

Max looks sheepishly around her room; trying to focus on anything but her words, she knows what she's about to say is just going to tick Chloe off.

"Look I thought it over, I'm going home by myself, I'll catch a bus and tie some loose ends in Seattle before I bring you with me. Y'know just to make sure my parents have cooled down a bit."

Chloe knitted her eyebrows together "Yeah no; that wasn't the plan. I just talked to Joyce and she's even on board with us skipping town. We can go get the stash from the principal's office tonight like we planned... you remember this don't you."

Chloe knelt beside Max and cupped her face with her hands

"You're not getting bad, again are you? You didn't black out, again right?"

Max shook Chloe off "No Chloe I'm fine. it's just that… what if I can't protect you out there? Like here I feel we're trapped in a bubble, my powers work here... they started here and what if out there in the unknown I don't know I freeze up or something ..."

Chloe ran her calloused fingers on the outline of Max's jaw "Max you already do that here, it's not going to matter where we are as long as we're together."

This is not where Max wanted to take the conversation but she had to differ from telling Chloe that perhaps yes she was going crazy. Especially the involvement of Rachel Amber.

Max heaved a sigh "You didn't believe me when I told you that Rachel was dancing in the rain. You didn't believe me when I told you she was more carefree than the birds in the sky and the breeze in the air." She lifted her chin and looked Chloe dead ahead.

"How can I solve this tangled mess if you won't believe these simple facts I'm telling you. The fact that you still have feelings for a dead girl doesn't elate of what actually is happening to me and around us." Max's eyes narrowed; trying to catch a hint of remorse or hurt in Chloe's eyes but nothing had set it off.

Chloe simply rolled her eyes as she slumped back into the wall against the twin sized bed. "Max there are many things that I find hard to believe, one of them is the crazy story of Rachel Amber. like she was all over the place so I doubt that given the choose her spirit or whatever would want to stay in the one place she detested the most." Chloe reached over to pull on Max's arm and pull her into the corner of the bed. "I do believe in you though, if you tell me that Rachel has a message from the great beyond then shit it must be important and she knew you're the one to tell me, she knew and knows even more now how important you are to me, to us. The people in this town and shit Rachel would have fought like hell for you too."

Max turned bright pink, thinking back to all the time she didn't reach out, the time she indeed did waste being an inconsiderate jerk. Max sat next to Chloe their knees touching and she reached out to lace her fingers through Chloe's giving her hand a tight squeeze. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to find out. I bet she holds a grudge huh?" nuzzling her head against the crook of Chloe's neck.

"I think she's just more bummed over not being able to snoop through things and catch dirtwad drunk off his ass."

"Chloe I know that you haven't forgotten how I left and I know you will never forget those moments because It's when you had Rachel and she helped but I am so grateful that you forgave me; that makes you bigger than me and I don't know how you did it. How you and Joyce just welcomed me back with open arms. I just want you to know that I know that I don't deserve this forgiveness by I am doing everything I can earn my place, to earn this gratitude." Max wiped her eyes, blinking away tears and pushing fear out.

Chloe smiled faintly, she wasn't going to argue with Max because it wasn't her decision to be made, she had no right to her feelings and whatever Max needed to get past this lump in her throat then that is what they were going to do.

"Come on then, we have a few hours to learn how to pick a lock and get into Wells' office, snag cozy chair, swipe the "Handicap Fund" and be on our way to meet the Mr. and Mrs. Smith aka your evil parents."

"Ha ha ha... don't even worry about it. I convinced Samuel to leave Principal Wells' door open. We're all set. Well unless he turns us in." Max elbows Chloe in the ribs.

"There's not a single person I trust in the shithole other than you so your joke isn't far off and you know how it goes. everyone is out to get me, Maxine." Sticking her tongue out to the younger girl; she gets hit in return with a weak-willed body slam.

"Why yes Ms. Price, I do recall you telling me this about 38298908230 times in the last couple of weeks or so." Max lazily crawls over Chloe and gives her an eager kiss, she smiles against it and pulls back before they can get too comfortable. "Meet me at the back entrance to the school, I'll snatch the keys from wells when he's drunk enough, leave the booze you brought here and I'll leave it at his doorstep. I won't rewind unless I absolutely have to."

Chloe made a face that was more than just disapproving

Max sighed "Yeah Chloe you know I'll be careful."

"Don't be a shit about it, I- we just know what happens when you go too far. I honestly don't think another scare will help either one of us." Chloe slung her shoulder over Max's arm and sighed as she kissed the top of Max's head. "I promised you Powell's and I expect you to keep yours and stay out of trouble."

Max smiled "Alright Price I'll see you there."


	19. A New Light

Here we are, I just want to say that the release of episode 2 of BTS was so gay that it motivated me to write this chapter a day sooner lol. I love my girls and I hope this chapter holds you over because lets just say that Rachel Amber will be back, I may be working in an Alternate Universe for Amberprice or if I'm feeling up to it a Amberpricefield. Time will tell but I am totally excited and hope that you guys give that a go too.

Love you and as always take care xoxo

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"Whiskey check, fake check- check, my morality- unknown." Max whispered to herself in the cover of night, it was a little past ten and surely the night was going to be a long one; surely Principal Wells was on another one of his benders so without a doubt this was going to be easier than making a bomb.

Trading her wardrobe so she and the night were one in the same was clever thinking, it looked nothing like Max, it radiated more of a goth Brook if you squinted. Max knew that Wells was still in his office and all she had to do is give the office a ring, she would set the trap right in front of his secretary's desk thinking that maybe they were going to surprise him in the morning because surely Mr. Ray Wells deserved it for being the best principal ever, the thought even Max want to gag.

Max and Chloe agreed to meet in the parking lot after she ensured that Wells had left for the night and this surely was the time he usually took his leave. The one thing that left Max unsettled was the conversation with Rachel, the dead girl had implied that if was a bigger force than Jefferson. What did she mean bigger than Jefferson? Wasn't he the one who was calling all the shots? Taking and possibly abusing all the girls in his care, wasn't he trying to take something away from them all...

Lost in thought, Max was already at the front of the building, she opened one of the windows which they had left open with a book in its wake, using it as a lever before the janitor and the other security guard- Chad locked up for the night. There sat snuggled between the butt of the window was one of those chemistry books that Max had hit Warren in the head by accident at the beginning of the year, so it clearly was thick enough so that they could lift the window without smashing their fingers through the latches.

Slipping inside the room trying not to trip over her own laces, trying to catch the outline of the furniture by the light outside, the outside lounge by Principal's Wells office was as dark as his ill infested heart. Max adjusted her eyes before getting on hands and knees getting into a crawling stance. The booze in her backpack was cursing her plans and what not by making a lot of noise and with each stride forward she winced hoping that it didn't clash with all her other things.

Suddenly there was raised voices coming from Wells office or maybe just one voice, just him as if he was on his cell phone. Max decided to take out her phone and crawl close to his door, leaving her backpack put right next to the desk chair. The short girl figured she would decipher what he was saying later, maybe if it connected to his donations for the school and not specifically for him.

Back to the task at hand Max rushed over to the first desk the one furthest away from the principal's office. A little gift set for the fairest educator what Blackwell has come to know. Even having to write out those words was one of the biggest lies that has spewed from her little brain, even going all out and using the nice stationary her mom picked out the last time they were here; yet again crying to convince her to stay in touch even if it was the old fashion way.

Max sent Chloe a text to make the call to one of the phones outside the office, knowing very well that he would be curious enough to go take the call but in reality, they just wanted to ghost him and have a little kick, making Wells have to run around because they took justice (for them at least).

Chloe: Be careful, making the call now. Run if you get caught. Don't rewind

Max: You sound the opposite of a video store; I'll be just fine Chloe. Hurry...

A moment later one of the phones started ringing, Wells took his time coming from the office that Max had her doubts that he even was there. A second later the other phone started ringing; Max was panicking the fear of getting caught was too high, but there was nothing she could do so she waited, holding her breath as the tired man dragged his feet across the just sweep floors.

Luckily he was already stumbling and being a complete cluts, he surely didn't miss the bag but it wasn't what they were expecting. Mr. Wells took offense to the gesture and chucked the bottle out of the window, the one that Max had come in through, she now had no way of getting out, because lifting that window again meant that the alarms would go off, just like before with the big sirens.

Max furrowed her eyebrows following his stride doing her best hiding in beneath the shadows of the small desk. Max guessed he had a tough day and that phone call didn't help, if at all she guessed that's what set him off and lashed out. Maybe it was taken out of context, maybe he thought that his staff was mocking him and this was their way of making his time doing his job even more unpleasant. Whatever the case Max waited hearing the jingle of his keys and his steps to fade away from the office and down the hall to completely come out from underneath the desk.

Chloe was out by the cover of the darkness in the parking lot by the bike racks, waiting for Wells to pull out and into the merely isolated streets.

Chloe: He's out, Omw

Max: Bring a flashlight, I don't want to risk being spotted.

Max swung the door open with a single shove of her hand, it hadn't changed much since the last time she had been here, that tacky bird, the dumb chair but this time there were excessive number of files out on his desk and those tables on every corner of this room.

The files were those of whom were associated with Rachel, it looked as though he were trying to come up with a connection of why Rachel would fall into Jefferson's path. Wells had a chalk board right by his bookshelf, a two sided one that looked of services for the Amber family, A vigil that was being planned and the services following that; including her funeral and the official announcement following.

But peeking around to the other side of the chalk board we could see an elaborate connection from Rachel to Chloe, Rachel to Jefferson, Jefferson to Chloe and for more than one reason Wells seemed to want to plant evidence that it was Chloe that got her in the tangle of a mess, beginning to that first principal- parent meeting going back three years ago.

"That's such bull." Max grabs for a thick black marker to sabotage his theory of why Chloe was and is a problem for his community.

Slowly and without making much noise Chloe approaches Max "I agree but he'll know I did this." Chloe put a hand on Max's shoulder "I don't want to leave a trace when we leave." She took the marker from Max's hand and put a cap on it before putting it in her back pocket. Chloe took a step back and looked at the board in a new perspective, plotting to events even before Chloe and Rachel had crossed paths at the Mill when Firewalk played the show. "Imagine if I had this much influence over her, we would have been long by then." She then picked up one of the flyers that was pinned to the board and read the upcoming events. "Uh. Max I know this may be asking a lot but. do you possibly think that we can..." Chloe gestured to the flyer, not exactly wanting to spell it out for her, she didn't want to disappoint her because it would mean that they would put their hands-on hold for Rachel once again.

Max looked at Chloe puzzled; did she really think that going to pay respects for Rachel was out of the question? That Max would be upset that she would want to say goodbye, it was a given that they were going to go, to say goodbye and to get some closure because after all Chloe still loves Rachel and your first love never really fades from your heart or your mind.

"You know what? We will be the first ones to arrive and the last ones to leave, she is going to know that she is surrounded by the people who knew her best, she wants you there and there's nothing that will stand in our way." Max reassured Chloe and squeezed her arm for a brief moment before taking the flashlight from her hands.

Chloe drew out a shaky breath and nodded, folded the flyer and shoved it in her back pocket as well. "Alright let's get out of here, there's a lot going on here and I rather not dwell on it."

Max went over to the desk where they found the money the last time, as predicted it was still there and honestly there was no remorse over taking flawed money but before she closed the door there were letters and a key in the same space. A letter from the Ambers, Nathan Prescott and the Prices- Chloe and Joyce. Max turned to Chloe and handed her letter back to her as well as the Ambers, maybe they could read them later but Max did hold on to Nathan's; Chloe wouldn't want to read it but maybe it had some useful information, for it was sitting next to a pile of cash and suspicious looking key.

Max open the slip from the end and unfolded the letter and read

Dear Principal Wells,

I don't know what you know or if my father has talked to you but I'm taking leave for a few days and I would like very well if you continued to look for Rachel Amber, I want you to do whatever you can to find her please. She is very dear to me and I have ensured that this would take care of whatever need you may have in your search and of those you may call upon your aide, my father will be in touch so be sure this is all in good faith.

until then, Nathan X

Max took the key in her hands and looked it over, it had small initial of a P engraved right on the middle. Max looked at Chloe before both of them curiously scan the room for a hidden compartment. The girls started pushing furniture aside, tossing over tables, chairs, lifting up flaps of the carpet for a hidden door. Lastly the moved bookshelves and the area where all the files were, and just behind there was a safe, luckily there was no combination to it but there was a latch where the key must be inserted.

Chloe wasted no time she took the key from Max's hands and opened the safe. The inside was almost bare except for two envelopes; Chloe took one and Max took the other. labeled The Ambers and the other Nathan Prescott. inside the Ambers one was a number with a Long Beach location and nothing else. The second envelope was a blank check of 30,000 for the expense of the illusion to look for Rachel.

Max shook her head such as Chloe was trying to make sense of it all. The money, the eerie location and more to add to that they didn't have a clue what The Ambers said or what part they had to play in the disappearance of her gone missing.

"Looks like being an Amber is more complicated than we thought." Chloe turned to Max "Looks as though we should have a chat with them and introduce you to political scum."


	20. In Between

A couple of days have passed and Max and Chloe have tried to lay low, they've been in between places to sleep, the dorms and of course Chloe's house but they left things quiet for too long now. Soon most of Arcadia Bay will be at Rachel Amber's vigil; tomorrow they will remember who she was and what symbolism she left behind, to her classmates and faculty, her parents; who didn't really understand her and to those close enough to get to know many sides if not all; to what made her collectively become Rachel Amber.

Chloe had been dreading this day, she hadn't got any sleep after she dropped off Max, at her dorm room and made sure she was safe. Chloe had tried to go home and sleep it off but Joyce kept wanting to talk to her. then when she tried David tried to counteract and immediately said that Rachel wasn't the friend she needed, and well it just turned into an argument once again, as it always did. Of course, Chloe didn't expect David to understand but she did expect some respect and it just wasn't healthy for her to stay trapped inside with all the negativity.

Grabbing a change of clothes Chloe grabbed her phone and wallet She felt like tonight was one of those nights when she would need it most, she had no destination but she needed a breather and some fresh air would do her good.

Out the door she set off, after gassing up her truck she headed someone familiar, driving around the Amber's neighborhood, it was a little past 8 p.m. which meant they were probably having dinner, it was customary that they eat late since Mr. Amber came from the office late and with all the things Rachel was involved with she tried to avoid as much time as possible with her parents. Chloe parked about a block away from their home, the vivid home bright as ever; she sat on the curb on at the opposite house across the street.

Chloe remembered when she was first brought to this home, it wasn't a pleasant experience but with time James; Mr. Amber came to accept the girl's friendship with her daughter, there were plenty of times where he didn't like the type of people Rachel was associating with but he knew in his heart that Chloe wasn't a bad person or that she went looking for trouble but that sometimes people seek excitement when whatever the rest of the world is doing isn't enough.

Neither Rachel or Chloe had ever thought of each other as bad or toxic influences; no they were two girls who had feelings for one another and had the urge to get out of Arcadia Bay , to take a chance on the rest of the world, for whatever reason if they didn't agree with the rest of the world they knew that they could back to safety, to the comfort and protection of their parents but they knew they had to try and make something, to try to prove to everyone who ever doubted their abilities and what they could accomplish; that was mostly true for Chloe because she had nothing to fall back on and everything to gain from leaving.

Chloe took out her marker and walked across to the Amber's residence, got to the porch and drew something rather familiar to this neighborhood 'Chloe was here' graffiti. No matter what the Ambers thought of her she wanted them to know that she was still here; if they needed someone to remind them who their daughter was; to remind them that Rachel will never be forgotten and that it's become impossible to not miss her with every being of herself, that tomorrow and the days to come she will be there, not only for them but for Rachel. To let them know that the girl from a broken home never stopped looking for her, that no matter how many people gave up on Chloe she never gave up Rachel and would have continued to look for her until her last breath.

Chloe moved forward and running her hand over the stained-glass door before going back to her truck, she raced along the streets and made a sharp turn to train tracks, anything but cautious as she raced the train itself, with her window rolled down, feeling the wisps of her hair flying all over. Chloe slowed down when she got to the junkyard, leaving the truck where she had once found it about three years ago. Chloe still didn't trust that it was safe, she hadn't been here in a while and now it was eerie and it was haunting her because this is where many girls and boys like Rachel had shared their same fate.

The junkyard was still considered a crime scene and so the exact area where Rachel was found was still plastered in yellow tape. Chloe did her best to avoid that area for now, it was far from easy but she made her way to their shed. Even this sacred space had been looked over as a crime scene and nothing was where it belonged, there was a sense of relief in that notion because if things stayed the same, Chloe wouldn't have the courage to brace this darkness alone. The thing is Chloe needed to say goodbye to her former self alone, to have someone else there wouldn't feel genuine, to make new memories with Max would potentially erase Rachel and she didn't want that to happen, no far from it.

Because of David and James this was the only place that Rachel and she could be together without anyone interfering in their plans, David was just as he always was; meddling in Chloe's business. James was just trying to redeem himself and in Rachel's eyes she couldn't forgive who he had become, and to James he sought Chloe as the problem for the start of when she started rebelling against him. So, in turn neither of their friendship was approved from their father figures in their lives.

Chloe went to where the floor was sticking up, the boards loose but they had not been tampered when the police had come to investigate. There Chloe had hidden the letters that Max had never sent, she had also hidden a now very cold bottle of wine, rose just the kind Rachel preferred when it was just them two. Chloe looked at the bottle in her hands, and slumped back against one of the crates. Chloe would have settled for a goodbye letter, if Rachel was given the chance she knew that she would have said goodbye; she definitely wasn't like the others. The thought was excruciating painful and very vindictive of her. Chloe took out her pocket knife and stabbed the cork right down the middle before jabbing it out.

The cork didn't come out but instead it went inside the bottle, not that it made a difference, it wasn't as if she was going to save it for later. The smooth taste of the pink wine tasted wonderful as she took a couple of swigs from the bottle. Chloe tucked the bottle in between her legs and pulled her beanie over her eyes. It was dark and it was cold, the alcohol did nothing to warm her but she didn't feel it. She felt her out of body, her soul wasn't connected to her, she disassociated and tried hard to remember why she needed to come to the junkyard. Tears spilling down her face, making a choking sound when she remembered that far off memory of what Rachel's laugh sounded like or when she had a hint of a flirtatious edge to her canter, which was who Rachel was. Rachel looked up to Chloe and she knew it too, it was like a daze of admiration.

One memory came to mind and it was one of her favorite memories; one that she could recall so vividly even those with her dad couldn't compare. It was two years ago for her seventeenth birthday, Chloe and Rachel didn't exactly get out of Oregon but they got out of Arcadia Bay, Rachel had planned it all out and even convinced Chloe to get blindfolded and have Rachel be the designated driver. Rachel had made a playlist of their first show, A mix of Firewalk and Daughter, just the perfect jams for their short road trip. Like Rachel had promised they would walk along the beach, no way in hell would they get in, the ocean was brutal in march but things don't always go according to plan. The first day they got to their destination the sun was barely coming down, on its way to set; the shades of oranges kissing the horizon. Rachel was hand and hand with Chloe, their heals digging in the sand.

Of course, it being Rachel, Chloe got tricked into coming knee deep into the water, but that was never enough. Rachel jumped onto Chloe's back and pulled her into the cold water, they were both gasping for air and chattering their teeth but yet Rachel had the biggest grin; one that has never appeared on her face. Chloe being Chloe came for Rachel, she walked against the current with Rachel backing away; her fingers making a cross for a time out and yet she couldn't help but laugh and scream with joy when Chloe finally caught up to her and slung her over her slender shoulders and again they went under the water. In those moments Chloe remembered all the blur around her, the only thing that mattered was being able to breathe, not thinking about what was to come next.

Chloe felt hands grab on her and pull her up, those same hands were stripping her out of her jacket and pulling her back to the shore. Chloe tried to cover most of Rachel's body until they got to the comfort of her truck, cranking the heat up after they had a change of clothes, they slumped back against the seat of the car and simultaneously started laughing, nothing needed to be said and this was just routine with them; enjoying the mischief and the easiness that came with within distance of each other

"Happy Birthday Chloe." Rachel had said once the laughter had died down, she leaned closer to with her head-on Chloe's shoulder just as it rested a hundred times before. Rachel pulled something from her bag, it was small so it was easy for her to conceal, Rachel pulled it up right in front of her; examining the continents of the small bag before giving it to Chloe. "I saw this when I went to Portland with my parents last week, this really interesting guy was selling these just outside our hotel. It reminded me of you. Like you look tough as hell but inside you're both hollowed out and I think there's something really cool about that. You can bring anything you want to the table and no one will call you out on it. because well you're a price and you've already been through the ringer." Chloe took the small bag from Rachel's hand, three hallowed out bullets strung on like a necklace. "Uh thanks, but do you see me as hollowed? I mean honestly?" Chloe pulled on the string from the bag and dangled it, viewing it in the little light they had from that dumb flickering red bulb.

Rachel arched her eyebrow, meaning no offense she didn't think anything of it. "Yeah, I mean Chloe that's a good thing. You don't know what direction to go and people know you to be one way when you're really not. You had a lot of mystery to you and I find it fascinating that people don't know what to expect of us when out here like this." Chloe laughed it off "Well I don't even know what to expect from you, you brought me in the middle of nowhere and now I am at your command." She shrugged her shoulders before placing her necklace in the palm of Rachel's hand. "Can you put it on, please?" Rachel looked up at her with a delighted smile. "Chloe Price asking for my help, I feel blessed." She giggled complying.

Chloe gave her a smirk before she turned her back on her and nervously wrung the beanie in her hands, she had never had anyone give her something so personal and that was after the fact that Rachel was putting it on her. Chloe did feel Rachel's hot breath on her neck, the hairs on her arms going up without so much as a thought to what was happening.

Rachel did feel Chloe tense up a bit and she thought it was rather cute that she still had those moments where it everything felt new and exciting because it honestly had never felt different; except now there was way more love from both of them and it wasn't just fabricated out of lust. Rachel wrapped her arms around Chloe's neck, leaning forward and whispering in her ear "Relax it's just us, no asshole is going to ruin this for us. I promise." Rachel tugged on Chloe's neckless, trailing the length stopping at her low-cut tank top. Rachel plastered a sly smile on her face before kissing the top of Chloe's head and pulling away. "Come on, we're missing the best part." Rachel raced outside at the bed of her truck, they had brought her air mattress and a mountain of comforters. Rachel tried to park away from the water so the night air wouldn't get so bad. "You don't mind keeping each other warm, right?"

"No uh... I can do that." Chloe released her tongue, she made her way towards the back door pulling on the latch.

Rachel found some decent sized rocks and placed them in front of the tires so they wouldn't roll anywhere else.

They shared a bed looking at the starry night, the mountains of covers and pillows keeping them company through the night, sometimes they preferred the silence; once in a while they could catch the sound of their rapid heartbeats or so they thought and that was enough, to share a moment like this sometimes never came to people, ever in their life and that is one blessing that they both shared.

Nothing was said on that trip that they didn't know, but everything changed that night. It wasn't just this playful banter anymore; it was raw feelings and it was real to both of them and nothing would ever change that. Chloe thought about it a lot and You don't just give up on someone because the world opposes you and you don't just give up because they were troubled and so were you, that's when you need each other the most and that's what Chloe learned from that night and all the other nights to come, the ones that were so intimate it hurt to recall, but she still had those memories hard pressed in the front of her mind. It was hard to move past it. Even if it was moving past it with Max, a girl that Chloe does truly love and maybe has loved even before Rachel came into the picture.

Chloe sure wished that her dad would come back and speak to her in one of those dreams, to guide her through such a heartache that she can't express because no one else would understand it, no one else knew this type of mourning. To be in love with two people, to have one of them dead and there being nothing anyone could do about it. Even more so, to explain the situation you're in to your best friend. It just isn't something that Chloe could talk to Max about; not realistically anyway.

Back at the dorms Max was having one of her dreams and this time she wasn't anywhere she recognized, not until she got to her feet. She was in one of those freight carts the exact train that almost took Chloe's life; that first week they reunited. Rachel sitting in the shadows, her hair up, looking like new age punk era. Rachel didn't make a sound or give any indication that she was going to move. This seemed like a more serious version that Max had not yet come to meet, in a sense that she seemed more absolute in a way. When she was dancing, and stomping over her own grave it had a sort of mystical feeling surrounding themselves in, it still seemed eerie to Max but now they were here, talking business.

Rachel now sat at the edge of train with her legs dangling over. "Things could have been so different you know, with you and Chloe, you could have left like she's been wanting to all along. Like we were going to." Rachel twisted her body so that now she was facing Max, her head tilted to the side as she sized the shorter girl in a few glances. Rachel smiled effortlessly before carrying on "You don't belong in this sort of mess and I'm trying to keep Chloe out of it, if I wanted her involved I would have dragged her down with me but there is a reason why I kept her out of everything that I did the last few weeks I was alive." Rachel started playing with her feather as she confessed some to Max. "Chloe got dealt a shitty hand. William, you, David and even Joyce. Things keep piling up and it's not been easy for her and I've done what I can to help her cope but I don't think it's' helped much." Rachel turned fully on Max "And this shit that you two are planning has to stop. Like completely stop, lots of shit is going down and yeah some of it is connected with Jefferson but some of it is connected with my parents and I just don't either of you getting involved. It's not your problem, I am out of that tangle and you should stay away. Please Max it's all I'm asking. Just go home."

Max couldn't help but feel the guilt wash over her, even though Rachel had told her it was a bad idea to pursue her parents and look over the files that Jefferson had she choose to ignore it, she even brought it up to Chloe and then they both laughed it off until recently back at the dorms. "I don't know if I can just let it go. If there's others like you that are in trouble, or were never found. What happened to you could have happened to Nathan, Victoria, Kate and I was going to be next. I'm scared if I stay here. I'm scared if I go and Chloe is on me, because there's something wrong with me, I feel it every time I used to my powers, I feel it even if I just have the urge to do so. I can't tell anyone, the only person I can tell just tells me not to do it. Like how fucking easy. I feel like this thing is a part of me. You know what I mean right? I know what you've done. With the fire, the storm. What's next for us Rachel?"

.


	21. Chapter 21

Been a busy week! I had three exams this week that took a lot of my time, so even though I wanted this chapter to be long I didn't want to lose my streak of putting it out weekly. Also working on NaNoWriMo I'm up to 7k so far, I hope to get more done next week!

So how are you guys doing? Liking this unusual string of relationships? I just love them all so much ha. As always keep the gay up, love you xoxo.

* * *

A few days had passed since the last dream with Rachel, Max had woken up and found herself seeking out Chloe. They agreed to meet at Chloe's house. They embraced, Chloe was out of sorts and Max tried to console her, she knew that this whole thing was going to be hard for her and there wasn't anything she could do but be there. But the other thing was that Rachel kept coming back to Max, that worried her, not exactly that she was seeing her but what if Rachel sought out Chloe. It would be the type of thing that might consume her, to only being able to seek her out in dreams would fuck her mentality up. Max hoped it wouldn't come to that but it's not like she could shut it off. All this time and all this talk about Rachel being out of this world was now a reality she was facing.

Chloe had contacted some of her classmates, the ones that were at Blackwell while she was still enrolled. Chloe wanted help organizing a farewell for Rachel, something intimate just for them. But nothing stays a secret in Arcadia Bay; soon even the people she despised wanted in. Chloe talked to Steph, they agreed that they wouldn't mind but whoever started shit was getting the boot.

There was one place that Chloe had in mind, it was way out in the woods, where everyone would go out and party, sort of like the underpass with all the graffiti but it was more secluded and whatever happened out there would stay between them, as it always did with these kinds of things.

Chloe had agreed to meet up with Steph and Mikey at the airport since they were coming from the same school- Oregon State. Drew would have joined them but he had a game and couldn't exactly put it off, it's not like he knew Rachel Amber but he wanted to be there for Steph and Mike, but Mikey was there so it wasn't going to be a big deal, he had no grand desire coming back to Arcadia Bay.

Chloe and Max waited by the baggage claim for the duo, they were so very different from when she last saw them a year ago, at their graduation. Even though they were very excited to see Chloe their eyes rimmed- swollen and shot red, they felt what had happened to Rachel deeply, the funeral in a few days, the ambers wanted to get their family in and so had it off for a little while longer. It wasn't like they had to preserve a body anymore.

Mikey guided through the people with Steph trailing behind, they both rushed to attack Chloe into a big embrace, Chloe wasn't one for touchy feely stuff but she hugged back just as tight. They had gone through so much together and having them back in Arcadia Bay again was reminiscent, so important for all of them to process what exactly they were feeling.

"Chloe. I'm so sorry. I- I didn't think she'd leave you" Steph shook her head in disbelief "But this… this is far from anything I had in mind." Steph looked at Mikey whom had begun to disassociate until she called to him again. Mikey forced a warm smile "I don't feel right being here. Can we go somewhere more private?" Chloe nodded and headed for their bags but not before introducing Max, Steph and Mikey to each other.

The girls had gone to get Max's car in Seattle, deciding it would be safer traveling in that. The four of them packed up and headed to Steph's house, where Mikey would be staying, they hadn't heard from his dad in a while but he sure hoped that he was doing better for himself, and perhaps if they had time he would go looking for him.

The little reunion would take place later in the night. Most were given the coordinates, but to only people that Max and Chloe trusted; so, they wouldn't attract unwanted attention from the authority and the like. Chloe drove Max to the light house and broke inside, they climbed up the stairs, she just wanted some time alone with her before everything tonight. They didn't get a chance to talk about last night and what had taken place prior to their meeting. Chloe got to the overlook first, she sat on the ledge of the light house, through the now absent glass that was once there. Max sat right besides, she couldn't help but to be worried for Chloe, Max wished every day that she was in a memory with Rachel Amber so that she could prevent all of this from happening. To have Chloe hurt a little less, yeah her dad was gone but that's the only person who needed to be gone, both Rachel and she could pick up the fragments, they would do everything to get back the Chloe that they helped put back together.

Chloe saw Max looking at her longingly so she grabbed her hand and gave it a tight squeeze. Chloe knew that she worried, she kept a good distance because no one knows her quite like Max does and she is so truly grateful to have her best friend and girlfriend by her side. They both had their shit to work out, Chloe knows that no one meant to leave but it happened and it's scary to move forward; because when she does it tends to happen again. "I didn't think it was going to get this messy, I thought that I'd just brush off that we found her at last. I didn't want to get hung up on all the details. But. I can't. She was Rachel freaking Amber. I don't know how to put into words what she did for me. How she healed this ugly scar I had over me like spiritually." Chloe took Max's hand up to her lips and gave it a light peck "I think you can feel it. In your dreams, I mean. Like she's not of this world." Chloe struggled to find the right words, the thumb grazing over Max's knuckles. "The way she speaks to you makes you feel nostalgic for something, like you'll miss her even though she hasn't left."

Max tilted her head confused as hell because that's exactly how she felt when she dreamed Rachel up, the minute she entered the dream she regretted it because it too brought a lot of memories; with just being in the same room, it was an eerie feeling and at the same time it felt like a sense of longing. "I can feel everything that you're feeling, I can see the pain and hurt in your eyes and of the eyes of your old friends. I understand that she's always going to be a part of you, just like William is always going to be a part of you. And just like William came to you in your dreams Rachel is coming to me in mine." Max felt guilty for not sharing what she felt about herself and their situation but it's not like Chloe would understand, she never caused anything massive like a storm, there was nothing strange about Chloe. No Chloe wasn't this weird concept she was just Chloe.

"After tonight things will get better, we can get to the bottom of things. We get to let everything go, get to forget and forgive and that other good shit. That's exactly what we need right? To learn to let go. I think it's the best thing to do even though it's not the way that Rachel would handle it." Chloe then wrapped her arm around Max and brought her in to her embrace "I'm glad it's not the Rachel thing, it's our own thing and I think she'd be shitting herself to see how much things have changed. Tell her that I've changed okay… and that I'm doing alright all on my own." Chloe looked out to the shore and what lay beyond it, not much came to that part of the beach since it was hangout for the kids of Arcadia, a little rustic and dirty; just like them.

There wasn't many of them who RSVP to come to the woods but when things like this happen, two turns into twenty and so on. Of course, these people would use this gathering as an excuse to party, there were plenty of kids at the meeting location before Chloe and Max got there. Steph and Mikey got a ride with Dana and Juliet, everyone else fumbled in as the later it got. There was a bonfire, there was chatter everywhere but the initiation had not started yet.

Max had even convinced Frank to show up last minute, which didn't sit well with Chloe but she wasn't about to get into another argument about it, tomorrow would be another day, no matter how she said goodbye and who was around to say goodbye as well. Chloe came up to the center where the trees parted to a path, there was a stump there and she dropped kicked it and stepped on it, towering over her former peers and a couple of new faces.

"Good people of Arcadia Bay; thank you for coming to this shit show that is about to take place, I am not responsible and neither are my fellow organizers for the events that may or may not damage you emotionally and psychically because shit- shit happens." Chloe jumps off the tree stump and walks around letting Steph handle the rest of the talking, Chloe then goes over and pours herself a drink, from the keg that someone brought; dropping the continents over the fire making it roar. Something else that Rachel loved doing, creating massive fires; this she was sure of, Chloe could definitely still feel one now.

Max stood back, she was there for the just in case situation. Max and Steph met glances a few times and Max did assure the other girl that everything was under control. It wasn't like Chloe wanted to cause damage tonight. Everything that her classmates were throwing into the fire seemed so trivial, she had seen their obsession with Rachel, their lust was pretty evident back then and this was a chance to let that go. it was perfect.

Steph was the first person to come up with something meaningful to talk about, she had told the kids at the gathering that with Mr. Keaton's permission she was able to pick up Prospera's costume, Steph talked about things leading up to that night that she wasn't there but that everyone else was involved in one way or another. Now turning to Chloe Steph moved her body towards the fire, towards her. "I wasn't there that night but I don't think I had to be, the things everyone said about how Rachel and Chloe single handedly saved the show, saved all our asses from a night of humiliation "Steph carried over the whole ensemble over to the fire, she stood over looming, standing tall for everyone. This piece of her symbolized change, a change to our town, change to us; the way we see each other than is not the way we see each other now and now her death is stirring up new change. I don't know about you but I'm tired of the Prescott being the only ones with the power to change stuff, no offense Nathan but your dad is a toxic asshole and he's bringing the whole town down with him."

Nathan didn't have much to say on the matter, he shrugged as he dragged a cigarette to his lips.

Chloe rolled her eyes "Don't bother Steph, poor little rich boy still doesn't have the balls big enough to confront pops on what the hell he was running. Look what it did to Rachel and who the hell knows where Sam is. Tell us Nathan, where did you bury poor innocent Sam, the only girl who showed interest in you and now she's gone. Just. Like. That." Chloe snapped her fingers together followed by a grim smile.

Victoria held Nathan back, he was getting worked up by the mention of Sam; it sent a cold shiver down his spine. "Price you don't know what the hell you're talking about. Samantha was just another lonely girl that couldn't mind her own freaking business." Nathan smiled bitterly, he wanted so much to talk about Sam, not even Victoria knew what had happened to the quiet girl, only Jefferson and Mr. Prescott were involved and they had done a great job covering it up, they even paid off her family to keep it under the rug; those idiots even agreed to it. Nathan couldn't comprehend how money could bring satisfaction with their daughter being gone, being so fake that you dismiss that this corrupted family has paid you off for the death of your child, one whom has done no harm to herself or the people around her.

"No one believes that. The girl worshipped you and she would have done whatever it took to get into your good graces. I saw it, she sought my help and I told her to leave you alone. But the heart is stupid like that, it doesn't listen to reason." Chloe said stepping over rocks in her path until Max grabbed her hand and pulled her back away from the fire.

Chloe looked stunned, ready to fight whoever laid hands on her but she knew there was only one person dumb enough to get in between Nathan and her. "Don't. He must hear this. If he's going to say goodbye, then he should say goodbye to Samantha too." Chloe looked angry but not at Max, it was at everyone else who was staring at her; that was getting under her skin.

"I am not going to apologize for something that wasn't my fault. Samantha is not my burden to handle. I am a victim just much as she was, just as much as Rachel was." Nathan yelled back, crushing the cigarette to the ground staring straight at Chloe "You don't know shit about anything. You... think that I have a say on anything my father does? I am a pawn, all I have is his money and his name, you can forget about his respect, his love or adoration. If any of you were in trouble right this second there is nothing I would be able to do about that, the best all of can do is flee this shit hole of a town. Just leave and we'll all be happy."

"You're wrong." Max called out, she stepped in front of Chloe. "We can do something about your dad, or whoever he's partnered up with. Yeah there's shit people in this town but that doesn't mean we have to become one of them or even cower away from them." Max got close to the fire to show them she fucked up leading up to the bathroom with Chloe and Nathan. "I was injured as you all know; I am not afraid of Nathan though. He's under the influence of some heavy shit, everyone at Blackwell is just a little fucked." Chloe tapped on Max's shoulder but Max shook her off proceeding. "I promised I wouldn't get back to taking pictures, I can't even hold a polaroid steady, and why the hell would I want to, why would I want to get recognized for my art. It's pathetic really."

Victoria had turned to Nathan, confused she had no idea that Max was in such a deep head space. "Caulfield you're not pathetic, you're actually a good photographer so why are you doing this to yourself?" Victoria was carrying a box of the missing Rachel Amber posters and had been burning them discreetly.

"I'm not doing anything to myself, I know when I'm done and what my art has done to the people around me, it's more than just getting back in the game, it's of a realization of wanting to be in the game." Max starts walking to the path of the beach, dozens trailing right behind her.

Max reaches the water and smiles "It's time to unburden ourselves and come out clean at the end of this." before Max could suggest getting into the water the jocks coming racing out of the clearing and one of them trips on a drawstring from a garbage bag

"Guys I think were gonna need a shovel. Dude has been here for a while." Logan dumbfounded points out.

Max goes to check but Chloe pulls her away and picks her up by the waist "No way. We need to get out of here, someone else can call it in. You're not going to torture yourself with this. Understand." Chloe did her best to get Max far away from the others but she was a little out of breath.

"Let me go Chloe, I need to see what I'm going to save…"


	22. Chapter 22

Chloe groans and lifts Max up and over her shoulder, stepping away from the horrific scene.

"No Max… we can't be here, you and I can't be caught up in this mess, we're days away from leaving Arcadia Bay and this will probably tie us down to a shit show of an investigation."

Chloe sets Max down next to her car, she takes the keys and sits in the driver's seat and starts the engine. Everything seems hazy as they take off.

"Chloe I need to know who that person was, if she was before or after Rachel. I need to piece this together and we're not getting anywhere if we keep running." Max's body is faced toward Chloe and she is having a hard time controlling what she's feeling and the way her mind is messing and tangling right in front of her.

Chloe drives back into town thinking about the poor girl in the ditch "If you knowing has something to do with Rachel why not just ask her in your visions/dreams. I don't know who the hell that's going to help, but since there needs to be order in your little sequence, you can start there." Chloe tapped her fingers on the steering wheel, hoping that the mention of Rachel can tie her over even if it is just for a little while.

Max sighed having to give in to Chloe, it wouldn't help to get so worked up, Max needed to know more, being here was the problem; they were only getting half of the story and it was frustrating as hell.

"Okay. I won't bring it up again but I need to see Rachel Amber's mom. Before the funeral, I don't understand how they can just sweep everything under the rug. Plus, I think she knows more than what she is leading on to believe. "

Chloe stops right in front of a coffee shop and parks, she nods and turns to look at Max "Fine, I'll set it up before the funeral. You gotta chill until then, okay?"

Max shrugs and as she pulls out her phone she receives a message from Nathan Prescott.

Nathan: I need to meet

Max: what for?

Nathan: It's about Samantha, leave your guard dog at home and come to my house.

Max: I'll be there when the police cools down.

Nathan: Later.

Okay so now Max had to make an excuse for going to Nathan's aid. Chloe wasn't going to like it but she could lie about where she was headed. Plus, that thing with the Ambers, she surely wouldn't fuss over where Max was.

"How about we go to your house, you get your truck and we'll meet up tonight. I want to pack before we talk to the ambers." Max fiddles with the strap of her bag and gives Chloe a little shrug as if to say, I need some time alone.

Chloe didn't protest and took off back into town to get her truck.

Max waited until things had cooled off with the police and drove to the edge of town where she and Chloe had visited long ago, god it felt like life time's ago. Max didn't even have to buzz in, Nathan or Mrs. Prescott had already spotted her and were on the foot of the stairs.

Max parked right next to the rose bushes and she raced up the drive way, she was running short on time and hoped this wasn't one of those visits that left her feeling nauseous and empty inside, given that she still needed to meet up with Chloe in the same time frame.

Nathan saw Max in and they went to a back room, Nathan was insistent on it. "Look Caulfield, I wanted to talk about what I know and it might not sit well with Price and I know it's a fucked-up thing, what I'm about to say but this town is shit and I have no power over my family, my dad is an asshole and my mom is not far behind. I'm sure you can agree from your last meeting with her."

Nathan locked the door behind them and went over to a very tall black cabinet, shuffling through paper work of folders he pulls out a very thin one and hold it close to his chest, it looks creased all over, as if it was a hard thing to obtain, like if Nathan had gone through hell and back to get it.

"At the end of freshmen year- summer of it actually, Jefferson had been a big win for arcadia bay, my father had invested money for Mark to come to this town, in pursuit Jefferson told my father that he would be a great asset to this town- his town." Nathan placed the folder on the desk and pushed it towards Max.

"There was this girl; Samantha Myers, she was one of the first here in Arcadia Bay. That summer Samantha had applied for an internship for my family, usually it was helping my sister out but every occasionally, my father asked her to go out of town with Jefferson, help with a photoshoot and what not. I didn't think anything of it, everything and everyone seemed professional and Samantha she was… loyal to a fault, it was impossible to blame her." Nathan raked his hair through, it was definitely hard on him, knowing Samantha and trusting her with so many things, confiding in her much more than he ever has with anyone else, including Victoria Chase.

"Then what happened Nathan?" Max grabbed the folder and started to lift the flap to the first page, right to the picture of the timid looking girl, her smile unfaltering and genuine.

"Then you know, she was the first to go to the dark room. My father and Jefferson brought me in when she was all hooked on those drugs, when I tried to talk to her outside of those sessions she called me insane, like she couldn't believe that either of them did anything to her. And look maybe I don't know what they did to her but I know they did kill her, she was living two lives. She just couldn't cope to just being the shy awkward girl anymore. I know she was their victim, the one that they toyed with the most, I'm not going to say they set her aside when they found others to play their games because she was willing to keep playing the part of the pet."

Max had figured as much and she didn't know how she would have handled it differently, half of the told was bought by the Prescott's and so even if she did go to the police it would be difficult without finding a corrupt cop. Without help on their side, they needed more than physical evidence, victims who'd go to trial and stop circle of power that they needed to put to rest.

I know you and Price are trying to stop this but can you find her, she's not here. I've looked and I found some coordinates where they've buried bodies and she could be there but I can't face her. I'm a coward and has done nothing to stop them. Jefferson is in jail so he won't get in your way and my father is too busy to even pay attention to his own kid so he won't care about two reckless teenage girls. I don't care how you do it but find her, anything you need I'll see to it." His demeanor had changed, he wasn't trying to act like he was superior than Max, this was a genuine cry for help, asking as a person who is desperate and wants to amend all the time he's seen ill things happen to innocent people.

Max shut the folder and slide it inside of her bag, she took Nathan's appearance in stride. "If she's out there we'll look, I think she'd like someone looking out for her, I heard that she used to do the same for you." Max placed a hand on his shoulder before she walked out of the strange back room and down the hall; out of the Prescott manor.

Back at Blackwell Academy at the dorms Chloe was already waiting for Max, her form of waiting consisted of taking a nap, limbs dangling over the edge of the bed. Max shook her head and dropped her bag on the ground, kick her shoes off she hovered over Chloe to get to a free space on her bed, Max's arms wrapped around Chloe's waist as she buried her face into the taller girls' shoulder.

A moment later Chloe speaks up "So had enough adventuring for one day?" Chloe grabs for Max's hand and brings it to her lips for light pecks across her knuckles.

Max sighs "I'm exhausted. I just need an oracle to tell me what to do, I have no fucking clue how to piece everything we have together. There's so many awful people here. No wonder my parents wanted to leave all those years ago." Max pulls Chloe closer and tries to relax.

"It's been less of a shithole since you got back." Chloe tries with a smile. "Tomorrow our lives change forever, we're putting part of the past behind us... to rest."

Max shakes her head "I don't think she'll rest, she loves messing with my head too much. and she truly cares what happens to us, I think her words were "I forbid you to go to California, you selfish fucks." Max smiles at this and rests her head on her pillow. "I guess we'll take it as a suggestion, right?"


End file.
